


The Hero and The Ocarina

by sureynot



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Badass Link, Chaotic good Ganondorf, Enemies to Lovers, Fix-It, Ganon is an ass, Gerudo Culture, Homophobia, Hylian Culture, Idiots in Love, Its all Nabooru’s Fault, Link is tired, M/M, Racism, Slow Burn, Time Travel, Timey-Wimey, courting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:40:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 44,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24774040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sureynot/pseuds/sureynot
Summary: In the future, it has been over a decade since Link returned to his original time. Memories of the past haunt him and the regret is powerful enough for the hero to try something unprecedented - taking matters into his own hands.In the past, the story begins all over again. It starts with Ganondorf kneeling before the Hylian King.Edit: Now with an official soundtrack: Team Teamwork’s Ocarina of Rhyme album because I’m a degenerate. https://youtu.be/jpge9BoDOwY
Relationships: Ganondorf/Link (Legend of Zelda), Ganondorf/others, Link/Others (mentioned)
Comments: 111
Kudos: 518





	1. Chapter 1

Links feet dropped silently onto the floor and he untangled his hookshot from the windowsill. The stealth armor gifted to him by Impa helped him melt into the darkness as he crept through the castle’s long corridors.

  
  
His plan was drastic, and he knew if he had given into the urge to consult Zelda about it, she would have told him it was insane, impossible. So naturally he kept his mouth shut.

  
  
He knows the castle’s secret passages like the backs of his own hands. After all, he never gave much credit to entering through the front door, even as a child. It didn’t take long for him to reach the princess’ study. He swiftly picked the lock and slipped through the door.  
  
  
  
The trouble now was finding the old thing.

  
Link knew the young queen kept the royal ocarina well hidden. He has been in her study numerous times, usually in her presence, and he liked to think he knew Zelda well enough to discern where she might store something important.

  
  
The study was dark, with its only light being the faint glow of moonlight streaming through the large windows, though the dim light is only a minor hindrance. Link has spent the better part of his life fumbling around dark dungeons and forgotten underground places and his sharp blue eyes adjusted quickly. Though Navi’s comforting glow would have been nice.  
  


It has been over a decade since she disappeared and he hasn’t stopped longing for her. But that is just one drop in the proverbial bucket; one reason in a long list of reasons why he feels the need to do this.

  
  
Silent as a thought, Link moved to Zelda's roll top desk and examined the area, looking for a locked drawer, a safe; somewhere you would hide a timeless artifact. In this case, the item in question is timeless in the most literal sense.

  
  
Somewhat surprisingly, he finds it in a locked glass case on one of the many bookshelves. He supposed her hiding place was effective; she nearly fooled him. After all, books tended to be his last resort in most cases.  
  


Several lock picks and a few silently muttered oaths later, Link held the Royal Ocarina in his hands for the first time in years.  
  


The Ocarina of Time.  
  


It felt heavy in his hands. His throat tightened as he rubbed his thumbs over its smooth, blue surface. Memories of two different times flood his mind, memories he spent many long years trying to come to terms with.  
  


Hands trembling slightly, Link stored the ancient and powerful ocarina in a leather pouch at his belt and exhaled a shaky breath, suppressing the emotions that threaten to send him spiraling again.  
  


Now is not the time for a trip down memory lane.

  
  
As Link slinks back through the secret doorways and corridors to his carefully planned exit point, he mentally runs through his inventory one last time.

  
The royal ocarina, a sturdy Goron-made shield, his Sheika-crafted sword, the old hookshot; it was all there along with several bombs and a few potions. He knew he could resupply on potions later, and even weapons if these failed him, though being a man of few possessions he felt quite attached to what little he carried with him. Link fingered the frayed green fabric of the cap in his pocket. Yes, after all these years he kept that too.

  
Epona waited for him faithfully just outside the castle grounds, watching him silently with soft amber eyes as he lowered himself down with his hookshot from the second story window. Gods, he will miss her.

  
Reaching the beautiful bay mare, Link fought back tears as he stroked her velvety muzzle. She whickered at him and nibbled at his fingers affectionately. He thought her large eyes had a sorrowful look. Perhaps she knew this was goodbye as well.

  
  
She carried him to the stone steps of the Temple of Time and it was there that he said his final goodbye. Taking the last of his things out of the saddlebags, Link removed the saddle and bridle, leaving her unburdened, as free as she had been when they first met. With a shaky breath, he hastily pressed his forehead to her long muzzle, tangling his fingers in her coarse mane.

  
“Be well, my friend.” He whispered in Kokiri as tears dampened his cheeks. He never enjoyed crying and generally avoided it at all costs, though this time it couldn't be helped. The mare tossed her head gently, softly bumping his forehead. “I...I will miss you too.”

  
  
He would tell her to return to Malon, but she knows where to go. He always knew she was intelligent, smarter than most Hylians even. Part of him wondered if she would prefer to return to the desert. She liked the horses there and the Gerudo are good masters.

But these goodbyes are dragging on too long. Link's pointed ears flickered as he suddenly heard commotion from the castle grounds. Likely the guards just discovered the slight damage he did to one of the second-story windows.

Link cursed softly and stroked Epona's muzzle one last time as he muttered Kokiri words. "I have to go, girl. Goodbye."

On silent feet, he runs into the dark depths of the temple.

His wrapped feet barely make a sound on the cold tile floor. The regal temple is nearly pitch dark though Link navigates the large, vaulted hall with familiar ease. Besides the faint blue glow ahead in the inner sanctum is a dead give away.

Link felt the thrum of the temple's power as he crossed the triforce engraving on the floor. The large hexagonal dais laid before him and on it the master sword glowed faintly, its light cutting through the darkness in an awe-inspiring way.

Like the ocarina, the sight of the sword brings back sudden flashes of memories across his vision. Memories of black, monstrous blood leaking from hideous corpses, memories of the sword's light and Navi's glow leading him through the dark, dank depths of the shadow temple...

No, he doesn't have time for this. Link squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head violently to dispel the flashbacks. He spent many long years working through these things, so why are they bothering him now?

Standing before the sword of destiny, Link withdrew the Royal Ocarina from his satchel. _Are you sure about this?_ A voice asked in the back of his mind. It sounds a little like Navi. Link ignored it and practically shoved the ocarina to his lips. Quietly, the first haunting notes of the Song of Time began to play.

The song unfurled from him, growing louder and bolder as his fingers danced along the instrument. The master sword flared with blue light-

Heavily armored footsteps and shouts at the temple entrance alerted him. As the final notes of the Song of Time hang in the air, Link's hands flashed forward and gripped the pommel of the divine blade.

"STOP! THIEF!"

The voice of a guard is the last thing Link heard as the world blazed white around him.

________________

Raising a gloved hand, the young Gerudo King signaled for the party to slow their mounts as the white walls of Castle Town came into view over rolling green hills.

  
  
He can't say he’s been looking forward to this. Not nearly as much as his sisters, who were practically bursting at the seams with excitement. Another meeting with the King of Hyrule, another useless treaty. More weary stares and condescending remarks from the old coot and his staff. At least his sisters will have their fill of food, drink, and men.

  
  
Men.

  
  
It hasn’t escaped the Gerudo’s notice that he is in fact one of them, though raised in the presence of exclusively women, he never thought of himself to belong in quite the same category as his Hylian counterparts. If “manliness” meant what they say it means, most of those fools fell pitifully short.  
  
  


Ganondorf smirked as they approached the drawbridge, musing about Hylian men and, well, Hylians in general as far as he understood them; their selfish notions, their pettiness, and their pointed ears, which though attractive, were believed to be some sort of divine gift (which is ridiculous). They are endearing as much as they are infuriating.

The guards at the gate asked intrusive questions and inspected their bags, eyeing the scimitars worn by the women and their king with suspicious eyes. They know better than to confiscate them, Ganondorf thought as he sized up the rather skinny Hylian guard to his right. His women could drop these _boys_ without issue.  
  
  


Irritated, Ganondorf flashed the letter bearing the seal of the Royal Family, which contains his summons. Signed by the King of Hyrule himself, certainly that would be proof enough.  
  


After a tense moment, the older guard nodded at the royal seal, allowing them through the gates and onto the streets of Hyrule’s dirty, noisy capital.  
  


Castle Town, a metropolis compared to his tribal home, was full of the sounds of merchants advertising their wares, cuckoos clucking, children shrieking, all combined with the distinctive smells of horse manure and humanity. The sensory assault was as jarring as a blow horn.  
  


What did Nabooru call this feeling? Culture shock?  
  


Behind him, the small party of warriors chattered excitedly, pointing out stalls selling foreign perfumes and fabrics and heckling the men as they passed. Ganondorf was aware that a few of them are hoping to have children. Din knows they need them...  
  


Just then, a tall, slender figure appeared in his periphery, pulling him out of his darkening thoughts just in time. It was Nabooru.  
  


“My King, our sisters are restless. If their presence is not required at the King’s audience, may they explore what this town has to offer?”  
  


Ganondorf acquiesced with the wave of a leather-gloved hand. The two of them are the only members of the tribe who need to attend the meeting. The rest would be too rambunctious and far too hotheaded for diplomacy.

  
“Make it clear that we ride at dawn. I won’t tolerate anyone rising late due to the night’s...festivities.”

  
  
“I will relay the message, my king.”

  
  
His second in command fell back to speak with his soldiers about his expectations. Regardless of his warning, one or two of them is bound to wake late and nearly all of them are sure to be hung-over.

  
  
His soldiers dismounted in the town square, boarding their mounts at the inn and heading off in pairs into the crowded market. They stuck out like flowers in a field with their tanned skin and colorful, revealing clothing. Ganondorf observed the Hylian men at a meat stall turn their gaze away from their wives to follow the fit figures of his sisters. His face split into a wide grin as he watched one of the wives give her distracted husband a swift slap across the cheek.

Leaving his soldiers to their fun in the market, Ganondorf and Nabooru continued on through the square and through the gates to the castle. Like before, the guards eyed them with suspicion and disdain, but allowed the pair through without comment. On edge, Ganondorf's sharp eyes scanned the manicured gardens as they approached the castle doors. Hylian archers stood at their posts on the roof and guard towers. Hylian soldiers rested their hands on the hilts of their swords; a sea of so-called men staring at them with distrustful eyes.

Ganondorf rolled his eyes.

________________

The meeting went as expected, though it was disappointing nonetheless.

Nabooru quickened her steps behind the Gerudo King, nearly breaking into a run as he made long and fast strides down the hall, leaving the throne room and King Daphnes behind.

"Honestly my king, did you expect anything else?" She whispered in terse Gerudo.

Other than an angry breath, her king didn't respond. She followed him out to a courtyard, where he stopped facing an ornate, white tiled fountain. The garden smelled of flowers and sweet nectar and Nabooru could hear the twittering calls of birds in the spring air. Ganondorf didn’t seem to notice.

"No, though my expectations have no bearing in this." He practically growled. "If Hyrule wants peace, then they need to show respect. I will not be the only one bowing my head. He might as well have had me lower my head to a fucking chopping block."

"That isn't his intent at all, and you know it." Nabooru retorted. As they argued in their native tongue, she couldn't help but notice a shadow near a vine-covered wall. The shadow moved.

"He made me _kneel_ to him, Nabs!"

"And you're going to let the actions of an imbecile ruin our chance at peace?!"

"Until he sees me as his equal, there will never be peace!"

Nabooru scoffed and jabbed a finger into his chest plate. " _You_ must be the bigger man, Ganondorf." She urged him pleadingly. "Don't worry about what he thinks of us, just...let this go. For your people."

"The _only_ reason I am here is for my people!"

They have been arguing like this lately. Nabooru remembered a time when the two of them played together in the sandy streets of their homeland. They never fought until he promoted her to his right hand and now it seemed as if they couldn't agree on anything. As they continued on like this, the feeling of being watched intensified and her attention diverted to the wall of vines. The shadow slunk back, fading away into the shade of the white stone pillars.

She thought she saw red eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops I did it again. I made another fic.
> 
> Tbh I started writing the Ganondorf scenes on my phone at work and didn't have any plans for a fic but here we are. I'm still not sure where this will go - I haven't done much plotting but so far, this has been a blast and a half to write and I'm excited about it. You bet your bottom rupee, this fic will have dark moments and drama, but it doesn't want to take itself too seriously and is something of a satire/comedy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nabooru hears some shocking news and Ganondorf has a rough morning.

In their need to vent off their frustrations alone, Ganondorf left the courtyard while Nabooru lingered. In the absence of his hot rage, the small, enclosed garden was quite pleasant and as she listened to the sounds of birdcalls and drank in the sweet smell of flowers, Nabooru could feel the tension draining away from her taunt shoulders.

Though that feeling of being _watched_ remained.

Nabooru feigned nonchalance as she moved around the fountain in the direction of the pillar, where she saw that red-eyed shadow move moments before. She faked an interest in the fountain's ornate sculpture work, and then drifted closer to the vine-covered wall and pillars to inspect the hanging baskets of flowers...

Quick as lightening Nabooru's hand flashed out into the murky shadow, tightening her grip on something solid. A strong gloved hand covered hers, trying to wrench away her grip, though it was too late. With a hard yank, Nabooru drug the shadowy figure out into the open. Those red eyes narrowed and bored into hers, set into a pale, strong-jawed face. The woman was nearly as tall as her and just as muscular, dressed in tight-fitting, midnight blue and black clothes, which had allowed her to blend in with the shadows.

A Sheika spy, she should have known.

Quick as lightening, the Sheika twisted her body in a complicated move, freeing herself from Nabooru's grip and nearly breaking the Gerudo's wrist in the process. Strong and quick, though lacking in grace compared to the Sheika, Nabooru had the woman trapped in a rough hold before she could escape.

"A spy for the king, hm?" Nabooru hissed in the spy's pointed ear as she tightened her grip on her arms, pinning them behind the woman's back. The Sheika grunted in pain as she thrashed against Nabooru's hold.

"My loyalty lies with Hylia's line," The spy spat. She didn't cease her struggle and Nabooru's arms ached with the effort to keep her hold.

"How long have you been following us?" Nabooru demanded. She remembered the dagger in her belt and pressed it threateningly against the small of the spy's back for good measure.

"If you harm me, you're life will be cut quite short. I suggest you put away that dagger." The spy replied coolly. With much reluctance, Nabooru withdrew the weapon and heard the woman give an irritated huff.

"I have been tailing your king since your party rode through the town gates." The spy confessed. "The princess has been blessed with Hylia's gift. Your king has haunted her dreams and she warned me he would bring danger upon the kingdom. I was only ensuring the safety of my charge."

Surprised and confused, Nabooru's grip slackened enough that the Sheika freed herself from her grasp. When Nabooru made to lunge for her again, the spy raised a gloved hand and the sunlight glinted off the razor sharp edges of a throwing star. Nabooru observed the Sheika from a distance. The other woman made no move to flee, so she relaxed her stance slightly.

"What do you mean by danger? What did the princess see?" Nabooru implored. From what she last heard, Princess Zelda was only ten years old though Nabooru had heard rumors of the young monarch's maturity and insight, both of which far surpassed her age. She was highly revered by her people, trusted as an oracle of sorts by some.

"I will speak with you, Exalted Nabooru, because you seemed to be advocating for peace while your king spoke of revenge and rebellion." The Sheika said, surprising Nabooru with the use of her name and apparent grasp of her language. "The princess has been haunted by dark dreams and evil omens. She believes your king is planning to find the Triforce, while falsely promising peace. She also believes he will use its power to steal the throne of Hyrule and cast darkness over the land."

"And you believe her?" The question, though insulting to the young highness, left her lips before Nabooru could censor herself. Nabooru is disturbed to say the least, though the young princess's claims have her skeptical. This is the first she has heard of any alternative plans or evil motives made by her king. While possessing a strong sense of justice and an air that verged on the dramatic, the Ganondorf she knew was not so conniving. He desired an end to the war and peace for her people much as she.

"It is my duty to investigate any possible threats to the royal family."

Nabooru fell silent, contemplating the woman's words as confusion and distress began to muddle her initial doubt.

"I suggest you watch your king closely, Nabooru." The Sheika cautioned her, stepping backward towards the shadows.

Overcome with a sudden sense of urgency, Nabooru stepped forward after her. "Wait, tell me your name!"

"Impa."

Impa stepped back into the shadow of the pillars, her figure becoming murky and indistinct until no trace of her remains. Stunned, Nabooru stood in front of the pillar, alone in the empty courtyard. She lingered there for a long time.

________________

After leaving Nabooru in the courtyard, Ganondorf ended up leaving the castle entirely to walk the town's streets and clear his head. Its impenetrable stonewalls had become claustrophobic, the stares of the guards and serving staff had become hostile, and the Hylian flags and tapestries mocked him with symbols of the Triforce.

It was absolutely impudent that the Hylians considered the sacred relic of the Triad to be _theirs_.

He circled back into the town square by the time the sun began to set. He and Nabooru had been set aside guest rooms in the castle of course, though Ganondorf had no desire to accept the king's hospitality tonight. Alternatively, the warm light and laughter that streamed through the windows of the inn looked far more inviting.

Ganondorf had fond memories of this inn. Years ago, before the war when he was barely a man, Ganondorf had many first experiences at this very establishment and he knew his sisters would be there tonight, drinking and finding companionship.

With little thought, Ganondorf approached the inn. He could do with a drink.

Ganondorf had to stoop low to avoid hitting his head on the doorframe. The ceiling was low, the lighting was dim, and the air was hazy with pipe smoke. The bar was packed with a smattering of Hylian men and his soldiers, who were already several drinks in and pairing off with some of the men. Why these establishments were always devoid of Hylian women was a mystery to him. Did they not enjoy drinking and merriment?

In stark contrast to the merry mood in his inn, the bartender was watching the mixed crowd with a look of abject disgust. Ganondorf sized him up as he strode to the bar. The little man took notice of him and Ganondorf smirked as his puny eyes widened when he noticed the seven foot tall Gerudo king.

"A pint of ale." Ganondorf ordered, studying the sour expression on the portly bartender's face with mounting dislike.

The man grumbled. "Fine. You lot can drink here but you can't stay. I don't want any of my possessions to go missing in the night, you hear me?"

Ganondorf bit back a snarl. This town didn't used to be this way. Years ago, before the war, their people got along reasonably well and his soldiers used to frequent this inn without issue. Though it has been five years since they visited the town on peaceful terms and Ganondorf saw how quickly Hylian sensibilities could change.

Swallowing the urge to strangle the man, Ganondorf detached a fat bag of rupees from his belt, tossing it onto the counter. He watched as the bartender's expression changed instantaneously, eyes widening and gleaming as he considered the sheer amount of rupees (more than enough to cover several rounds of drinks for his soldiers, room and board, and the cost of any damages his sisters may inflict as the night progressed). He learned long ago that rupees hold more weight to Hylians than anything else.

"That should be enough to change your mind."

The bartender made a series of funny choking noises.

"Now keep the ale flowing," Ganondorf barked roughly, "or some of your possessions might indeed go missing."

Ganondorf snatched his pint of frothy ale and turned his back to the imbecile, determined to clear his mind and enjoy himself. After all if there is to be peace with Hyrule again (no matter how fragile), having a decent bar to return to will become quite important. He scanned the crowded room, sharp eyes sweeping over the drunk, flushed faces of his sisters and the equally drunk and flushed men. As he surveyed the surrounding fanfare, he saw his target.

A young man sat alone in a small, cushioned booth near the wall. The man was taking in the atmosphere around him with curiosity, watching the singing and dancing Gerudo women with awe. He had interesting green eyes and brown hair. Ganondorf noted the stubble dotting his chin, the slight tan to his skin, and his lean though well-muscled physique. He looked like a man who worked with his hands and yet there was a certain softness about him. Ganondorf was intrigued.

Initially, seducing a companion had not been on his mind, as it was occupied with a running list of his grievances against the Kingdom of Hyrule. Though the war put a damper on the tribe's visits to town and his people had become stir crazy to say the least. Not to mention, he can only help so many of them conceive and he enjoys the novelty of laying with a man as much as any other Gerudo. Perhaps a conquest is what he needs to improve his mood.

  
  
Swiping a second pint from the counter, Ganondorf approached.

  
  
When he reached the small booth (cozy, in fact), Ganondorf leaned on the back of the booth, watching with amusement as the man took notice of him. His large green eyes widened as he took in Ganondorf’s size, eyes roaming up and down his muscular torso and sharp features. The Gerudo king was well aware of the size difference between Hylians and Gerudo. He stands a full head taller than the average Hylian man and most Gerudo women equal their height. The more insecure varieties seem to find this threatening, though in his experience many Hylians were quite curious and eager to explore relations with his people, even during the present conflict. After all, the prowess of the Gerudo as lovers is no secret.

  
  
“Hello.” Ganondorf practically purred as he fixed the man with his best smoldering gaze. Pink immediately colored the man’s cheeks. A good sign.

  
  
“Ah, h-hello.” The man replied tentatively. Perhaps he is shy or intimidated by the Gerudo King’s stature. Either way, he finds this man amusing, endearing even. His frustration over the disappointing peace talks with King Daphnes and his anger at the ignorant bartender diminished slightly and Ganondorf made up his mind to show this man a night he’ll never forget.

  
  
Extending his arm towards the blushing Hylian, Ganondorf offered him the pint in his large, dark hand. “Drink with me?”

  
  
The man took the overflowing glass from his hand gratefully as Ganondorf slid into the small booth beside him. Ganondorf’s warm thigh touched his and yet the man made no move to distance himself.

  
  
Ganondorf flashed a feral grin.

________________

The sky had just begun to lighten when Ganondorf rose and detangled himself from the smaller body around him. The Hylian man made small protesting noises, though fortunately the man still seemed to be asleep. Ganondorf ignored him, rising to dress quickly and silently in the pre-dawn darkness. He didn't notice the man stir awake.

"Leaving so soon, hm?" The man asked him sleepily. What was his name again? Ganondorf hadn't paid much attention last night. He hadn't been in a talking mood.

"M-hm." He responded nonverbally as he secured his gauntlets and belt in place.

"Will I see you again?"

Damn it.

"Unlikely." Ganondorf answered. Best to give them a clean break. "I don't travel to Hyrule much."

"Ah..."

For the love of the sand goddess, why did he have to wake up? Besides, this man should know better than to assume Ganondorf would stick around. He slept with a Gerudo after all. With his gauntlets buckled and weapons sheathed at his sides, Ganondorf was ready to depart. Not to mention he told his sisters they would be off at sunrise and no later. He was already dangerously close to breaking his own rule, and that was just bad leadership.

Ganondorf couldn't remember what his parting words had been, but they were brief. He could feel the beginnings of a headache and exhaustion dragged at his limbs. His mouth felt as if it were full of sand. He lost count of how many drinks he had put down after the seventh pint.

To his lack of surprise and minor embarrassment, many of his soldiers beat him to the stables and were astride their horses. Nabooru was at the head of the group, organizing them in his stead. He supposed he would thank her later.

"Well, well, well, look who it is." Nabooru said teasingly with a smug smirk as Ganondorf mounted his stead, wincing as his head throbbed. "Don't tell me about what you got up to last night. I probably don't want to know."

"No, you probably don't." He grumbled. Gods, he felt as if his head was about to burst, though at least it seems yesterday's disagreement is forgotten for now.

"Let's go home." She said, nudging her horse into a trot. Ganondorf gave the order to depart and soon the party was heading for the town gates. Ahead, Ganondorf could see the guards lowering the drawbridge.

As they pass the large cathedral, Hylia's temple, Ganondorf caught on to the distinct feeling of magic in the air. The air had a heavy, electric feel that made the hairs on his arms prickle as if a vast amount of energy had recently been expelled, similar to the feeling of a thunderstorm, though the skies above them were clear. Unconsciously, his gaze wandered over to the temple plaza where he saw a very curious sight indeed.

A shadowy figure stumbled out of the temple, seemingly disoriented. Likely a drunken vagrant taking shelter on the temple steps, Ganondorf first assumed, though as soon as their eyes met, that theory was dashed.

The figure's attire was much like a Sheika spy; tight-fitting dark clothes with wrapped hands and feet, though the man's face was exposed and his blonde hair and blue eyes were unmistakably _Hylian_. As soon as the man's piercing blue eyes met Ganondorf's, he seemed to go into shock, staggering backwards and nearly falling over before freezing in what Ganondorf would describe as abject terror.

Disapproving and suspecting stares, Ganondorf is familiar with. This man's stunned and terrified expression is rather different. And insulting. Frowning, Ganondorf broke his gaze with the strange Hylian and continued on. Perhaps the man is one of the king's spies sent to watch them, the bastard.

With a heavy sigh, Ganondorf turned his gaze to the dark western horizon, where the green fields of Hyrule surrender to the brown scrublands of his starving territory and his tired mind drifted away from thoughts of politics and warfare to thoughts of home.

Behind him Nabooru studied her king's back, anxiety tearing at her features.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf is kind of an ass, but hopefully he's an endearing ass. That's the goal at least!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link meets some familiar faces and reflects on the past.

"How does your arm feel?"

Zelda's soft blue eyes studied him with concern as Link stretched and flexed his sword arm, taking note of the residual stiffness and the dull ache in his bones. Link shrugged and Zelda sighed.

"Link, you really must be more careful." She scolded him. It was a habit of hers. "Even heroes need rest sometimes."

Link fought the urge to roll his eyes. He _knew_ that. He just never wanted to.

"Have you-" Zelda started to speak and then paused, suddenly seeming to be unsure of herself. Lowering his recovering arm, Link gave her his attention.

"Have you given my offer thought?" She finally says after a long moment. Biting back a sigh, Link nodded.

"I know the idea must seem strange to you, but I urge you to consider it." Zelda said, studying Link's face. She was trying to read Link, which he resented. He would make his decision in his own time, as he always has. "We are sure that your parents were knights. You might learn more about them if you decide to become one, and you could stay in the castle. For as long as you wish."

Zelda brought this up often lately, whenever Link chanced a visit, and he had never given her a straight answer. It wasn't that Link _didn't_ want to settle down eventually. But the wilds still called him away and he often left for months at a time to adventure in the lands beyond Hyrule's borders. If he became a knight, could he escape the monotony to visit the Gerudo or discover new lands? 

"Aren't you curious about the old legends? About your legacy?" She continued to press the issue this time. Tired, Link dropped his gaze to examine the grass beneath his feet as she talked from her perch on the marble bench beside him. "You carry the Hero's blood, Link. That has to mean something to you. Don't you want to learn about the other heroes?"

No. No he didn't, though he knew Zelda wouldn't appreciate that answer. Met once again with his silence, Link hears Zelda release a sigh. He can tell she is frustrated with him.

"I must go, Link, or I will be late to meet with Impa. Just..." Zelda's light voice falters and Link looks up at her. "Just take time to consider where you want to end up. And please, take care of yourself."

Link gives her a small smile, standing and holding out his hand. Zelda takes it gratefully as she rises to her feet. "Ever the gentleman." She teases. "Until next we meet, Link."

"Goodbye, Zelda." Link says, startling the queen with rare words. As he watches her leave the courtyard, the wind shifts and Link catches the scent of something sweet on the air. That familiar feeling of restlessness stirs his bones and Link wonders where he would end up if he followed that wind...

________________

Link blinked away the spots in his vision left behind by the disorienting white light and his hands dropped numbly from the master sword, as it’s divine light faded back to a gentle glow.

The blade still thrummed with power; Link could feel it. And the mark on the back of his hand glowed softly in time with the sword. The blade of destiny is calling to him; it wants to be wielded as much as Link’s hands ache to wield it. No matter how much time has passed since he last held the master sword, Link would never forget how right the blade felt in his hand, or how powerful it made him feel. For an instant Link forgets himself and his fingers reach out towards the glowing hilt...

No. Link slammed his eyes shut, breathing labored with effort as he forced himself to still his hand. The sword is a seal.

Link exhaled slowly as he forced his hand to retreat. The last time he took it from its ancient pedestal, Ganondorf was able to slip through and access the sacred realm and that is exactly what Link is trying to prevent. If he plays his cards right, he may not have to use the thing at all.

With great effort, Link turns his back to the Master Sword, ignoring its call.

The first time Link arrived in the temple, he had tripped over suddenly enlarged feet, and the second time he nearly fell down steps that had suddenly become much taller than he had gotten used to. This time as he descended the three short steps of the stone dais he felt a rush of relief at being the same size, though his legs did tremble slightly from exhaustion. Traveling so far across time wasn’t without consequence.

  
  
Speaking of consequences...

  
  
Link hastened his steps as he approached the temple doors, nearly breaking into a staggered run on legs that felt like dead weights. The last time he did this, the destinations were set somehow. Predestined by the prophesy or whatever. Zelda tried to explain and he tried to listen, though thinking about it too hard always gave him a headache. This time was different. He went of his own volition to do something the goddesses never intended and while he willed his destination quite strongly, he wasn’t altogether sure he got there.

Outside the Temple of Time, the eastern sky was just beginning to lighten. Dawn. The town looked similar though there were fewer buildings than when he entered the temple. That had to be a good sign...

As he descended the temple steps (a little less worn, also a good sign), Link heard the heavy clop of hooves.

Down the temple path, roughly a spear’s throw away, the tall, colorful figures of Gerudo soldiers suddenly came into view. They were moving down the main road towards the drawbridge. Surely their presence meant...

Oh Goddess.

He rode among his sisters, tall and dark and alive. Breathing like the rest of them as if Link hadn’t rammed the Master Sword into his chest a lifetime ago. Human as if he hadn’t become that huge, horned beast...

Link is struck by his youth, and then he remembers he was technically a child last time. Of course Ganondorf had seemed older to him then.

Sharp golden eyes glanced in his direction and Link suddenly lost his ability to breathe. He felt as though he were standing outside his body, outside of time. Paralyzed. The moment, while likely brief in actuality, seemed to linger forever as Link watched himself nearly crumble at the sight of a man he had killed twice.

A scowl marred Ganondorf’s impossibly young face and he looked away, riding out of Links view. In a moment the band of Gerudo warriors is gone and Link is left cold and shaking as he stares down the empty street.

Link didn’t know how long he remained rooted there, staring at the space Ganondorf previously occupied as if he had seen a ghost. Well, he supposes he had in a way.

Eventually Link shook himself and moved, though he was unsure of his destination. The details of his plan were fuzzy to say the least. To Zelda's annoyance, he never quite got the hang of _plans_. Link was much better at winging it and adapting as the situation required.

Link's stomach rumbled and he grimaced, noticing the hallow feeling of hunger gnawing at his insides as he absently wondered when he had last eaten a meal. Though Ganondorf and the prophecy weigh heavily on his mind, Link can't ignore the leaden weight of his limbs and the angry hole that is his stomach. Setting his jaw, Link steps towards the awakening town. He wistfully recalled a shop he would frequent often which sold meat pies. He wondered if it was here yet.

________________

With a hot meat pie in hand, Link returned to the courtyard, settling down on the steps of the Temple of Time. As the morning past, the streets began to fill and crowd with salesmen, soldiers, and regular people beginning their day. Link had begun to get strange comments and weary looks as he moved through the broad daylight. The owner of the pie shop had asked if he was off-duty, a question that confused him until he remembered he was wearing Sheika armor and looked very much like a soldier or spy. Perhaps he should find some new clothes.

As he bit into the greasy pie, chewing the chunks of stewed beef blissfully, Link's stomach quieted and he began to think.

He tried to recall as much as possible from this time. Years ago, over a decade Link realizes with mild horror, he stumbled out of this very temple in the body of a child. He had defeated Ganondorf and the monster that came out of him in the longest, most difficult battle of his life and Zelda had sent him back to warn her father. Did he warn them before Ganondorf falsely declared a truce or after? Link couldn't remember.

What he did remember was that this moment was pivotal. Even farther back, Link struggled to push through too many conflicting memories of too many timelines to remember what had happened originally. He was truly a child then. Was his child-self alive now? Last time traveling back in time didn't create two copies though this time was a little different. As a headache began to knot his forehead, Link filed that strange thought away for later.

The Deku tree had just died.

Link nearly dropped his half-eaten breakfast on the stone as old, dusty memories hit him like a damp sock full of sand. Around this time he had just vanquished the parasite Ghoma, thinking he had freed the ancient forest guardian, only to watch as the Deku tree died in front of him. And then...

And then he had come here. He found Zelda, sort of on purpose but also by accident, and together they watched Ganondorf kneeling before her father.

That's right. Link remembered with despair that by this point Ganondorf had already unleashed a parasite inside the Deku Tree, poisoned Lord Jabu Jabu, and attempted to starve the Gorons. By the time Ganondorf and King Daphnes declared peace, the Gerudo King had already set his plans in motion. Zelda thought intercepting the stones would stop Ganondorf from accessing the Sacred Realm, but by fetching the stones and reaching the master sword, Link had inadvertently _helped_ Ganondorf by opening the way for him.

Does that mean he lets the Deku tree die a slow, painful death? Does that mean he lets the Gorons starve and the Zora Kingdom to stay frozen? Link was never one to stand idly by, and besides Ganondorf would revisit those places to demand the stones. Perhaps Link could head him off...

_He wasn't always like this._

Link remembers Nabooru telling him that. Once he returned and reached adulthood the long way, he and Nabooru had become close friends and the subject of Ganondorf was brought up fairly often. At first, Link was reluctant to discuss any of it but as she told him stories of her and Ganondorf's youth, Link began to heal. He was so young when he fought the King of Evil and he had seen the world in black and white terms, but as he grew older and more worn, Link began to realize most people just try to do their best. At least that is how it starts.

Nabooru told him that Ganondorf tried to do his best for their people, at least in the beginning.

Link didn't regret what happened to Ganondorf's future self. He regretted having to take a life, though he knew by that point any semblance of Ganondorf's former self had gone. He had become so twisted and drunk on power that only a corrupted shadow remained. When Link plunged the Master Sword into his chest, his eyes were blazing red and held nothing but hatred. But the Ganondorf he returned to...

The Ganondorf who was sealed by the sages had been put to trial for crimes only Link had witnessed. Sure, his plans had been in motion but who's to say what could have happened if Hyrule had handled the information differently. With a shudder, he remembers _that_ Ganondorf's eyes as he stood before the Sages. He remembers the confusion, fear, and rage they held. The eyes he met on the street just now were similar. Ganondorf’s gaze had been fierce and strong, though that red hatred wasn’t there yet.

"Soldier! On your feet!"

A familiar, stern voice barked suddenly, startling Link from his memories. At first Link didn't think the order was directed at him, until he raised his gaze to find a much younger Impa standing over him, scowling with such a disapproving look that Link nearly apologized out of instinct.

Reflexively, Link gave her a confused look before his mind caught up.

"Is this how you treat your superiors?" Impa scolded, red eyes narrowing as she leaned in, hands on her hips.

Does he tell her? How would he even begin...

Acting on impulse Link hopped to his feet and bowed his head in apology, back straight as a board. No, it would be too troublesome to tell her. He can play a part for now.

As Link straightens, Impa's red eyes studied him with suspicion. "You're lucky I'm running late soldier, or I would be the one to discipline you. Report to Captain Domri immediately, that is an order."

As Impa turned on her heel and strode out of the courtyard, Link breathed a sigh of relief. He has no intention of reporting to Captain Domri, who ever he is, and he supposes he should leave town before she finds him again.

He really needs to find new clothes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My hope is to sprinkle in Link's memories from the future/past throughout the story. Over time, the full reasons for what he is doing and why will become clearer, and I have lots of ideas about what Link was up to between Majora's Mask and this point.
> 
> Also for reference, Link is about 20 at this point and Ganondorf is in his mid-twenties.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this story. Updates might not happen super frequently but I usually don't go more than a month or two between updates unless life suddenly gets insane.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf returns to the desert. Link gets mild tinnitus.

Lush green grass gradually yielded to sagebrush and dry, cracked earth. After a few miles, Ganondorf knew even the hardy sage would give up in its battle for survival, unable to grow through the cracks in the red canyon rock. Only the hardiest shrubs could survive there, and once they take root, it seems as though they are reluctant to give up their hard-earned post. They grow thorns to thwart any who might eat their feeble leaves, twist themselves into disturbing shapes and in defiance of all reason they can persist there for centuries, in a single crack in the stone.

His lands are _old_. Ganondorf could see the millennia etched into the bands of the canyon wall; the compressed sediment of the ages stacked together, storing the past like some sort of library. At least that's what the elders say. They told him their desert has stored its history in the landscape and displays it proudly for those who know how to read its language. They also say the desert is a stubborn thing, not as wily and changeable as the grasslands and older than even the ancient woods to the west.

As the band of Gerudo soldiers enter the canyon, Ganondorf glanced at Nabooru. She was uncharacteristically quiet during their travel the day before and remains so this morning as they complete the final leg of their journey. There is an anxious shiftiness about her. She won't tell him why of course. Like the desert, there is no one more stubborn than a Gerudo with a secret.

When his party rode out of the narrow canyon and into the fortress grounds, the desert sun was nearly at its zenith, casting waves of heat against the baked earth. Horns announced their return, blown by Gerudo sentries standing watch on tall towers. As they rode through the canyon, Ganondorf knew a system of messengers and spies, hidden on top of the canyon walls, had relayed word of their coming well before they arrived.

Which explained why several of his people were waiting for them outside, despite the scorching heat. Friends and lovers greeted each other enthusiastically as his soldiers dismounted, chatting excitedly in their native tongue as they led their horses to the stables for food and water. With a bow, two purple-clad Gerudo guards took Ganondorf's horse away, leaving a lone guard in front of him.

"My king, the sun shines upon your return." The guard said as she bowed. Such an odd phrase Ganondorf thought, even if it's a traditional greeting. The sun shines constantly regardless of his presence. "The elders Koume and Kotake wish to speak with your greatness."

Can't a king rest his feet after a long journey? Ganondorf thought irritably as he dismissed her. Inside the cool walls of the fortress, Ganondorf passed members of his tribe, who halted their various duties to bow in his wake. It was his intent to visit his rooms first to shed his hot, dirty armor for cooler and clean clothes though to his lack of surprise, his mothers were already there, waiting for him.

"Ah, our son. We have waited anxiously for your return." Koume's cracked voice said as the two crones shadowed his steps. "There is much we need to speak of."

"You stink of the road." Remarked Kotake as he escaped their fussing hands and stripped out of his stifling armor.

"Nice to see you too." Sarcasm laced his tone as he changed. He donned a light swiral, which breathed much better than his greaves, and ignored the thin top Koume tried to shove into his hands. The feeling of air on his heated skin was blissfully refreshing.

"Have you procured the stones?" One of them asked him. He wasn't sure which.

Ganondorf swiped a ripe volt fruit from a silver bowl by the window and sank into a chair with a sigh.

"Not yet." He remarked as he bit into the fruit ravenously.

"Not yet? Our son is lazy, Koume!" Kotake wailed.

"Lazy indeed, Kotake! We have no time to loose!"

"By the sands, I will have them soon!" He barked, startling them into silence. He ran a large brown hand over his face. "It will take time. None will give up their stones easily. The tree is weakening, though slowly. He is old and strong and he bows to no kingdom. The Zora and Gorons are as loyal to Hyrule as ever and our meeting was..." he eyed the dripping fruit in his hand, "not fruitful."

"Where diplomacy fails, there are _other_ ways to ensure cooperation." His twin mothers suggested, mischief glittering in their large eyes.

"Stop with these riddles. Speak plainly."

"Starve them! Take away their hope! _Make_ them bow to your greatness!"

"You fools! If I harm them, they will only resent the Gerudo and cling to the royal crown!"

Ganondorf is frustrated. Last they spoke, they had agreed on driving the other tribes away from Hyrule. He had thought new alliances with the Zora and Gorons would give his tribe leverage against the crown, though his attempts at diplomacy with King Zora and the Goron Chief have been unsuccessful so far. The others, like his tribe, relied heavily on the crown for trade. What, they had asked, could the desert lands offer them aside from horses and spice? Both were useless to fish people and living rocks.

"If you can harness the power of the stones, we won't _need_ the others! Don't you see, our exalted one?" Koume spoke as her twin agreed.

"Yes, yes! With all three stones, one can unlock the greatest weapon of all. The Gerudo will no longer rely on the aid of others and the kingdoms of Hyrule will finally bow to our great king!"

His mothers liked to dream of forgotten legends and ancient powers. Most of their ravings seemed fanciful, though as far-fetched as their promises could be they always struck a cord within him. Of course he longed for the power to bring his people greatness and prosperity. What sort of king would he be otherwise?

"What are these stones? What sort of power would they give me?"

"Ah, the sacred stones are keys to the power of the Goddesses. Yes, with such power, you could become more than just the king of the Gerudo." Koume said, her cracked voice dropping near a whisper.

"Yes, yes, ancient keys left behind by the Three at the time of Creation." Kotake murmured. "Take the stones our son, in any way you can, and bring them to the Hylian Temple. Only there can they open the path to the greatest power of all."

"And that is?" Ganondorf pressed, golden eyes alight with curiosity.

"The Triforce!" The twins cried in unison.

The Triforce. It is said that if one can harness the Triforce and balance the powers of Farore, Nayru, and Din, in harmony, one will be granted a wish. Of course, that is mostly said in children's tales. His mothers often speak of such tales as if they were more than myths and Ganondorf usually took their ravings with a grain of salt, though the way the three keepers guarded their stones made him wonder.

"You say I must bring them to the Temple of Hylia. Why?" It was strange and frankly annoying to think the Hylians were sitting on this magical power. However...

Ganondorf remembered the heavy feeling in the air when he past the temple; the unique, electric feeling of magic. Perhaps the temple held great powers worth investigating after all. And then he recalled that strange Hylian emerging (staggering, he thought) from the temple doors, clad in Sheika armor.

The Hylian King must already know of the temple's power. With a spark of rage, Ganondorf imagined King Daphnes beating him to the sacred stones. He imagined his rival using said stones to enter the temple and harness a power that would make Hyrule even more prosperous. They would horde their increased wealth and power. And to think the Gerudo would be under his fat thumb once and for all...

"The Hylians built a temple to their false Goddess on very ancient and powerful ground, isn't that right Kotake?"

"Yes, dear sister. The temple was built around an ancient site, older than Hyrule itself. _That_ is where you must go, dear son. Take the stones and enter the Temple. Your true destiny awaits you there, trust your mothers."

"Yes, yes. It is written in the stars, our son. You are destined for greater things than ruling our starving lands."

It is certainly flattering to think so. His mothers liked to speak of prophecies almost as much as they liked to speak of obscure legends and children's tales. Ganondorf didn't put much stock in _destiny_ , though he did put a lot of stock in justice. And as it stood, he felt that his people deserved a lot more respect than what they received from their so-called allies. Perhaps the keepers of the stones required another visit after all.

Ganondorf dismissed his mothers, watching as the ancient witches vanished in a flare of blue and red magic, ever dramatic. In their absence, his chambers were quiet, peaceful. Only the far-away sounds of his soldiers training in the grounds could be faintly heard through the open window. Ganondorf gazed at the remains of the fruit in his hand, humming as he considered the options before him. He had much to think about.

  
________________

  
Like most, the elderly tailor watched Link curiously as he wandered into his shop. He could feel the man's watery blue eyes on him as he studied the plain tunic and trousers on display. These would suit him nicely, however the color wasn't quite right. Link approached the counter and fished his old Kokiri cap from his pocket, laying the frayed material gently on the counter. All the while, the man continued to study him and the delicate way he treated the old, worn hat, as if it were precious and fragile as glass.

  
  
“Can you match this?” Link asked, looking earnestly into the tailor's eyes.

  
  
The tailor gave him an odd look and as he studied the material, his puzzled frown only deepened. Link knew that look. The man certainly wanted to know _why_.

  
  
“Perhaps...” the old man trailed off as he ran his gnarled fingers over the worn fabric. “Such an odd green. It will take time to find the right ingredients for the dye and it’ll cost extra.”

  
  
When Link set a bulging bag of rupees on the counter, the mans bushy white eyebrows rose higher than Link thought possible and the man opened and shut his mouth like a gasping fish. Usually when judging Link by his appearance, shopkeepers doubted his ability to pay for their goods. They were always surprised at the amount of rupees he seemed to conjure out of thin air, though he never bothered to explain. Somehow 'I found them in holes underground' didn't seem to be a sufficient answer.

"Will this be enough?"

"Erm, ah yes. Yes, that should be quite sufficient, young master." The shopkeeper sputtered.

  
  
“You’ll have the materials by the afternoon.” Link knew some green mushrooms and certain monster parts would do the trick. He could use a walk anyway and having something to fight always helped clear his head.

  
  
Link left the bag on the counter and was gone before the old man recovered from his bewilderment. Before he could leave Castle Town, there was one more thing he had to do.

As he approached the castle grounds, Link was grateful for his stealth armor. He glided past the guards, right under their noses, and no one bothered to stop him. Not that the palace guards were difficult to sneak past. Even a child could do it.

As he expected, a mess of boulders blocked off the entrance to the fairy fountain, and while he could have squeezed through the hole at the bottom as a child, he certainly couldn't now. It was broad daylight and the sound of a bomb would certainly raise suspicion, though the guards were so lazy, Link doubted they would check. With little thought, Link casually lit a bomb with his flint and lobbed the object towards the rock.

He didn't so much as flinch when the bomb detonated upon impact and ignored the familiar ringing in his ears. At this point, he nearly always heard that ringing, a faint, constant background noise, unless he was focusing intently on something else.

Link scrambled over the rubble and entered the widened cave entrance.

The packed earth gave way to white, marbled tile. Link recalled the first time he visited this fountain. It was the first time he had ever seen a Great Fairy and every time since, he never lost that initial awe. The air practically shimmered with magic and the dark cave was lit with soft glows from two impressive torches on either side of the golden mark of the Triforce on the floor.

Link's silent, wrapped feet settled on the golden mark and he fished the Royal Ocarina from the pouch at his belt. The soft notes of Zelda's Lullaby unfurled from the instrument as his fingers automatically pressed the notes with a familiarity that was nearly instinctual. Link lowered the instrument as the calm, clear pool before him began to stir and that high, feminine laughter filled the air.

The first time he summoned a Great Fairy, Link fell over backwards in shock when she erupted from the roiling waters and he paled in surprise and awe when the great being looked down on him from her perch in mid air. Now he didn't flinch a muscle and stared calmly up at her voluminous figure as she floated before him, filling the cavern with her crystalline laughter.

"Welcome, Hero." The Great Fairy of Magic cooed, her inhuman eyes glittering. "I bestowed my spell upon you only two days ago, and yet here you are, standing before me as a man. I sense a great disturbance in time..."

Link stared up at the endless purple pools of her eyes. They seemed to hold the whole universe.

"Tell me, Hero, why do you come before me outside of your time."

Link supposed that was a fair question.

"I have seen the future and I desire to change it." He answered simply. There was so much more to say, though for the life of him, Link didn't know how to put it to words.

"Ah..." As the Great Fairy considered this, Link watched her long, claw-like nails tap her bare thigh. "And you believe the future is yours to change?"

Link held her inhuman gaze in silence.

"Very well." Murmured the Fairy and Link wondered what she thought of him. "The Great Fairies must aide the Hero in his quest, in whatever way we can."

Link felt his shoulders relax in relief. It was helpful knowing his double was here only yesterday. Link thought backwards, sifting through too many memories, and recalled that he fetched the Goron Ruby after the Kokiri Emerald. Perhaps having a double would be useful after all.

"My child self must not bring the sacred stones to the Temple of Time." He began. "When he finds you at Death Mountain, please tell him to return the stones to the forest. They will be safe in the Lost Woods."  
  


And he will be able to rest and have the life I never could, Link thought privately.

The Fairy laughed, clear and light as crystals. "What a strange request!" She chuckled. "It will be done, Hero."

Link thanked her earnestly, relieved that his double could go on to live unburdened from prophetic responsibilities. The beginnings of a plan began to form in his mind.

"We are in no need of thanks, chosen one. This is our duty.” The Great Fairy said smoothly. "When battle has made you weary, please come and see me."

Link watched with awe as the fairy vanished into the pool, her shrill laugh ringing in the air.

When Link ducked out of the fountain entrance and into the bright mid-morning sun, the castle grounds were alive with commotion. Guards were inspecting the blasted rubble at the cave mouth in wide-eyed bewilderment. As on-edge as they were, Link knew he would need a distraction to avoid getting caught. In the shadows of the cave, he quickly and quietly played the Song of Storms.

As the guards promptly covered their heads and ran to escape the sudden torrential downpour, Link slipped out of the cave, vanishing under the dark clouds like a specter.

That went better than he had expected, Link mused as he passed through the gates of Castle Town. Now all he has to do is track down some ingredients for green dye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are enjoying this story! Thank you so much for your comments and kuddos!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link goes on a trip.

The desert sun's heat warmed the hazy, sandy air, creating an oven effect inside the perpetual sandstorm, yet Link pushed through the debilitating heat and the confusing whispers and groans as he traversed the Haunted Wasteland. Those groans could have been the wind...or lost spirits trying to lure him into the dunes. No Gerudo would tell him which and Link didn't want to find out for himself. He kept his eyes on the faint form of his poe guide, who seemed hell-bent on trying to shake him from its trail. However he followed it many times before this and could not be fooled.

When Link left the cursed wasteland behind, the sun bored its heat into his skull directly, blazing furiously overhead in a cloudless blue sky. Link drank from his canteen and for a moment considered resting in the cool cave of the Great Fairy Fountain, though he ignored that urge and pressed forwards.

Nabooru greeted him inside the Spirit Temple as if she expected him. She was standing in front of the twin cobra statues with a stone tablet in hand. Link lowered his shield arm, which he had raised on instinct. The two clay pots already lie broken among the sand on the floor.

"This poem was meant for you, wasn't it?" She asked him suddenly, turning slightly to regard him. Link was startled slightly by her remark, but didn't bother to respond. It wasn't a question, really. She knew the answer. Unaffected by his silence, Nabooru returned her attention to the statues, tapping her stylus on the tablet thoughtfully.

"That is a strange thought, isn't it? I've estimated these statues and their carvings to be about as ancient as the temple itself. And yet our ancestors knew that you, or someone like you, would need such guidance..."

Link waited patiently as she trailed off in thought. "Hm, another mystery to meditate on." She concluded simply and set aside the stone tablet, turning to face him with a familiar smirk on her face. "What possessed you to cross the wastes during the heat of the day to see me?"

"You said you may have a cure for my nightmares if I am ready to receive heeling with an open heart."

"And you believe you are ready." Nabooru assumed. Link nodded. He always appreciated her ability to get to the point. "Very well, my friend. The ceremony is best done at night and I will need time to prepare. I suggest you take time to prepare as well. No one outside the tribe has ever taken the medicine before and I will not be responsible for its affects."

Link swallowed his nerves and nodded.

Nightfall brought blissfully cooler temperatures and a clear, starry sky. Link rejoined Nabooru at the nearby oasis, where she had made a fire and laid out colorful hand-woven bedrolls on the sand. She sat cross-legged on one with her painted eyelids closed and an earthen bowl at her feet. Link noticed additional unfamiliar jewelry hung from her neck. In contrast to the usual gold and jewels, these were rather plain and made of wood, bone, and feathers. The bowl was similarly plain and filled with small, round cacti, which bore tiny pink flowers.

Somehow hearing his quiet presence, Nabooru's eyelids flickered open and she regarded him with her intelligent golden eyes. Her painted lips quirked up into a small smile. "Glad to see you've made it, Link. Please take a seat across from the fire."

Link obeyed and sat cross-legged on the colorfully patterned blankets, trying his best to imitate her posture and feeling mildly out of place. Though that was nothing new; he felt out of place most of the time.

"Now, remove your shirts and put this on."

Link took the strange necklace from Nabooru's hand and removed his tunic and chain mail, shivering slightly as his chest was exposed to the cool night air. Like hers, his was made of wood beads and bone carved into triangle shapes. On each white triangle, Gerudo runes were painted in blue and red dye. Feeling humbled to be a part of such a secret and ancient tradition, Link handled the charm reverently and slipped it over his head. The painted bones felt rough and cool against his skin.

"The ceremony has only ever been done in Gerudo. I will try to translate it for you in Hylian, though I can't promise it'll be exact. Are you ready to begin?"

Months ago, when they had first talked about this, and many times since, Nabooru repeatedly told him the cactus affected everyone differently and that the experience wasn't always pleasant. She had emphasized the importance of being honest with one's self and that any hesitation was a sign that his spirit wasn't ready to receive healing. Link was nervous of course, though he knew he was ready. His past had plagued him long enough.

Link met her knowing gaze and nodded. Nabooru smiled and fetched a bundle of herbs that lay beside the bowl. She broke apart the bundle and held up a sprig of desert sage, holding it out above the hungry flames.

"To start, we make an offering to Din by placing these herbs in the fire. Fire is Din's light, her gift to the world. It can offer warmth and light yet when focus and intention is abandoned, it can burn. Reflect on this teaching as I place the herbs."

Link watched her drop the sprigs of sage, rosemary, and other hardy shrubs into the fire. The sprigs caught light in the blaze and he smelled soothing aromatics as the herbs burned. He considered the fire and its power. It reminds him of Din's Fire, the spell that burns inside him. He remembers all the times Din's magic saved him during his quests and adventures and he remembers how Ganondorf abused her power...and how he became consumed by it just as the fire greedily consumed its fuel until nothing remained.

"Now, we offer some of the cactus to our spirit guides, so that they may join us on this journey. Our ancestors guide us throughout this life. Acknowledge them, thank them, and invite them to be with you on this journey...even if you do not know them by name." Nabooru's low, soothing voice stirred Link from his reflections and he watched her select one of the plump, spherical cacti from the bowl, offering it to the flames. As the cactus burned, the flames flared and turned green. A sickly sweet stench threatened to overwhelm his nostrils.

Trying to ignore the disconcerting smell of the burning cactus, Link considered Nabooru's guiding words. The subject of his lineage was always a sore topic for him. Nabooru was right. He didn't know his ancestors by name, or even his parents. He felt a deeper connection to the Deku Tree and Saria than he did to his Hylian heritage. But as he sat before the fire, reflecting on his guides and who they might be, Link focused on setting aside the deep-seated feelings of separation and angst he usually felt when thinking of his mysterious family and instead tried to thank them for whatever guidance they brought him...even if he never recognized it.

"I believe you are ready, Link." Nabooru murmured softly. She held the bowl out over the flames, presenting it to him.

Link stared into the bowl for a long moment. Internally, he acknowledged that he was nervous. Small fears about whether something would go wrong, whether he would panic or throw up surfaced in his mind and Link's hand stalled, hovering over the little cacti, which seemed to stare at him expectantly from their small flowers. Did the fumes of the burning cactus make him hallucinate already?

"Don't think too hard on your choice." Nabooru said with a glint of humor in her tone. Steeling his nerves, Link selected one of the smaller bulbs. Sitting back down on his mat, Link felt the rough surface of the little cactus in his hands. The spines were small and rounded enough that it wasn't painful to hold.

Nabooru selected a cactus and returned the bowl to her feet. She turned her face up towards the heavens, raising her cactus to the infinite night sky.

"We embark on this journey with open hearts." She said, lowering her gaze to meet his. "I will be here to guide you out when its time, Link. Good luck."

Nabooru took a small bite of her cactus and chewed it slowly with a thoughtful expression. With only a small amount of hesitation, Link followed suit, raising the cactus to his lips and biting into its tough flesh with a resounding crunch.

He nearly dropped the cactus in his lap when the bitter taste assaulted his tongue. Forcing himself to swallow, Link gasped and reached for the clay mug of water Nabooru had thoughtfully set aside for him. Tossing his head back, he downed the whole cup, forgetting that he was supposed to get the whole cactus down somehow.

Nabooru finished eating her cactus and waited in silence as Link forced the last of the soapy, bitter fruit down his throat without the assistance of water. His eyes watered as he repressed the urge to gag and for a moment, he thought he would retch, though Nabooru gave him an encouraging look. After Link finished, Nabooru smiled gently at him and closed her eyes, looking stoic, tall, and peaceful. Link exhaled a long breath and settled in to his seat. Around them, the locusts sang and frogs croaked from among the grasses and plants around the oasis. Beyond the protective shadow of the Desert Colossus, wolves howled mournfully. As he sat there, he began to feel a strange sort of kinship to the desert wolves.

The nausea faded, though an unpleasant feeling still remained in his gut. Trying to take his mind away from the feeling, Link turned his attention to the fire and quickly became enraptured with the delicate dance of the flames.

Nabooru began to softly hum a rhythmic tune that Link had never heard before. Soon the tune melded with the sounds of the crackling fire and of the desert life around them. And then Link began to see moving pictures in the flames.

The figures were distorted by the flickering flames, though Link thought they looked like soldiers sparring. Slowly the figures became clearer. Golden armor and helms decorated their bodies and they fought with more grace than Link had ever seen from Hylian soldiers. They were _knights_.

The figures began to blur, merge and reform into one fiery face. Made of flame, Link's own face stared back at him and then a horrible, dizzy feeling threatened to overwhelm him. Nabooru's humming suddenly sounded uncomfortable in his ears. He didn't want to see things anymore. As Link's heart began to race, he remained rooted in terror as he watched the flesh melt from the face in the flames until nothing but a skull remained. One of its eyes flared red.

A wolf's lonely howl rang out as the world turned as red as the flames. Link slammed his eyes shut.

Link drew a shuddering breath and resisted the urge to scream as the red behind his eyes faded to white. A white fog stretched out in all directions and Link could suddenly see Hyrule castle faintly in the distance.

Ragged breathing came from behind him and Link whipped around to face a skeleton clad in Hyrule's golden armor. One of its eyes glowed red while the other remained an empty socket.

"Well met, Hero." The skeleton said in a voice that reminded Link of dusty, forgotten places and heavy coffin stones.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Link asked immediately as panic welled up within him.

"You are in the Gerudo desert." The skeleton said. "We are presently in your mind. I am you...or rather a part of you."

"I don't understand."

"I am the part of you that is immortal." The skeleton explained. "The part of you that was made by Hylia and passed down through your line from hero to hero...from knight to knight."

_Spirit guides_. Link thought. Nabooru mentioned them, though at the time Link hadn't assumed he would literally meet his.

"I am here to offer you guidance." His spirit says on cue. "No other Hero has crossed time as you have done. What you have caused by doing so is quite complicated."

"How so?"

"I must say it is difficult to explain...but I can show you." The skeleton said cryptically before the world around him changed.

Link watched himself, older and worn, riding through Hyrule Field on Epona. They were both clad in golden battle gear, with Hyrule's crest embellished on his golden shield. He wore an eyepatch over one eye. He then saw himself being carried in an open casket, as Zelda trailed behind the procession of knights, clad in black lace with tears stained on her delicate cheeks. The scene changed to Hyrule Castle, surrounded by a prism of golden, alien runes. Inside, a young teen in his likeness battled a dark and crazed Ganondorf once again. His eyes burned red with malice.

His vision warped uncomfortably once more and a battlefield stretched out before him. Hyrule Castle stood in the distance, a flaming pile of rubble. Blackened bodies littered Hyrule Field; Hylians, Gorons, Zora, Gerudo, and monsters, all dead under roiling black skies. And then the tortured land was drowned in an endless blue sea. From a tall tower built upon a lonely island, Ganondorf looked out over the empty sea. His shoulders drooped heavily with fatigue and age. His golden eyes turned towards a small, green clad figure, a boy as young as Link had been when he began his quest. Those eyes regarded the young hero with infinite sorrow as he readied his blade and strode forward to battle once again.  
  


The vision changed again and again with dizzying speed. Link saw himself dead before Ganondorf, with the Gerudo’s massive dark blade jutting from his chest. He saw Hyrule fall to darkness, he saw war, he saw Hyrule reborn again and again. And each time, one green-clad Hero rose to defeat Ganondorf, each time a more deranged and monstrous likeness. 

There is a snap, like an elastic band, and Link was suddenly returned to the foggy world of his spirit guide. The skeleton warrior stood before him, studying Link in silence with his red eye.

"What was that?" Link asked breathlessly. He felt out of breath, as though he had ran for miles.

"The futures."

"As in more than one?" Link clarified, to the skeleton's affirming nod. "Because I traveled through time?"

"Yes."

"But in all those futures, Ganondorf comes back stronger."

"Yes."

"How do I stop them?" Link asked automatically.

"Stop them?" The skeleton said, perplexed. "You cannot stop them. Traveling further in time will only create more possibilities, and more futures. You already made choices in the past and future that directed history separately. I merely show this to you to offer guidance."

Link was at a loss. What sort of guidance could he get from learning that no matter what he did, how hard he fought, who he told, Ganondorf would return and many more people would die?

"The last piece of guidance I can give is this." The skeleton continued. "If you continue down your current path, your greatest regret will be that you did not pass on your memory and knowledge to those who came after you. Far in the future I will be able to ease that regret, though while my spirit continues on, you will not. Take this to heart, Link."

Link opened his mouth to speak, but the spirit began to fade and then spinning nausea brings him out of the world of fog, and Link's mind burst forth into the frigid desert night as if he had suddenly surfaced from under water. The stars greeted him for a moment, and then Link rolled over onto his side, helped by strong, yet gentle hands. Nabooru smoothed his shoulder comfortingly as he brought up everything in his stomach, vomiting onto the sand. Once he finished, she guided him to a seat and Link noticed the fire had died down to faint red embers.

"You did well for your first time." She told him as he wiped his face with a cloth and drank the cup of water she offered him. "Most can't hold their cactus down for so long!"

He started to speak, to warn her about the futures he saw, though she held up a hand, silencing him.

"Each person's vision is their own." She said. "It is not customary to share. I suggest you rest now, Link. It is very late and visions as long as yours can sap your strength."

Though still perturbed over what he witnessed, Link obeyed and laid down on his mat, away from his sick. He did feel quite drained. As consciousness slipped away, the words of his spirit guide drifted through his mind.

_Traveling further in time will only create more possibilities, more futures..._

A smile rose to Link's lips as he dreamed.

________________

A blanket of leaves and twigs crunched softly under the soles of Link’s new leather boots as he moved through the forest. It would take time to break them in and Link longed for his old pair, lost in time like most of his possessions and memories. They had been so worn, the leather so broken in, that they had fit more like a pair of old socks and as Zelda liked to remind him, they had smelled just as bad.

He winced as the stiff leather rubbed his raw heel. He forgot about the compulsory blisters.

As Link moved along the thin, twisting paths of game trails, the woods around him began to change. They grew denser, older. The composition of trees shifted from pines and firs to ancient, gnarled oaks.

Soft whispers called out to him from indeterminate directions, encouraging him to leave the path. Fortunately his Kokiri upbringing taught him how to block out their magic.

He was taking the long, seldom used paths around the Kokiri village. Disturbing the Kokiri was the last thing he wanted to do. It meant passing through more of the lost woods than he’d like, though he would manage. All he had to do was stay focused and keep a watchful eye on the ever-changing path.

Link emerged from the narrow path, parting two giant stands of bushes to reveal a large, familiar clearing. The giant husk of the Great Deku Tree stood ahead and Link's steps faltered at the sight of his corpse. Dappled sunlight filtered through the leaves that clung to his dead branches and streamed through gaps in the surrounding clearing. Link looked up and realized his leaves were beginning to wither already, in the days or weeks since he passed. This was the first Link had seen the old forest guardian since he was a child. Though Link ventured through many dark woods and old forests in his years, he never returned to this one. Its memories had become just too painful.

The Great Deku Tree's mouth still laid open, allowing Link access to the system of tunnels and rooms within his massive trunk, which inevitably led to the lair of that horrible parasite that gnawed at his ancient roots...

_Stop._ Link shook his head before the memories threatened to overwhelm him again. It seemed the ancient tree could not be saved in any of the timelines. If anything, his death and rebirth seemed to be a constant. And he would sprout again. Link had to remember that. His reason for being here was not to prevent the loss of his only parental figure, but to wait for Ganondorf to attempt to claim the Kokiri Emerald.

Ignoring the tempting entrance to the temple within the Deku Tree, Link used the low, gigantic boughs to climb into the upper-reaches of the canopy. He found a sturdy limb with an excellent view of the clearing and the various paths that led into the forest, and made it his perch. Digging into his bags, Link found enough food rations to last him a few days and his old slingshot, which could serve as entertainment in a pinch. He wasn't sure how long he had to wait, but he was determined to catch the Gerudo King when the man would arise from the dark woods.

Secure in the dead limbs of the Deku Tree, Link waited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was mostly flashback, though this particular flashback is an important part of the plot. I’ve been excited to write that scene since I first came up with this idea! 
> 
> Some background for those who care to know - I'm fascinated with ancient cultures and aboriginal traditions. Like, in another life I would have studied cultural anthropology instead of biology. Through writing fiction, I've been exploring and sharing some of the things I am most fascinated by from various religions and cultures around the world and I love brining some of those ideas into the Gerudo culture especially. The psychedelic cactus scene was inspired by what little I know about Native American peyote rituals plus my own creative liberties.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First impressions are lasting ones...or so they say.

Tall trees surrounded him for miles; lush, green, and growing too damn close together. Ganondorf felt pressed upon by their mass as he navigated the deer trail. He told himself his mind was playing tricks on him when he thought the woods were growing denser, creating an impenetrable fence of gnarled wood around him. He also remembered the path going in a slightly different direction last time. But paths shouldn't move...

The air was heavy here compared to the light, dry air of his homeland, and too damn humid. But the stuffy air and the endless sea of trees weren't even the worst of it. No, the worst thing about the Lost Woods was the _whispers_.

The Haunted Wasteland had whispers too, but Ganondorf was familiar with those. Most were caused by the violent winds and even considering the perpetual sandstorm, you could still see farther in the wastes than you could in these dark woods. Anything could be lurking in the shade of the dense branches and undergrowth off of the thin trail. Ganondorf thought of tales of skull children and barely suppressed a shudder.

With every fiber of his being, he hates this place.

But he had to be close now. He had been walking for hours and he thought he passed that mossy boulder already. Yet he couldn't have because there was only one path and he never left it and...

Up ahead, the path split suddenly, with one trail winding its way to the left and the other disappearing straight ahead into the darkening woods. Chills made the hairs at the back of his neck stand on end; the path hadn't split before. Ganondorf paused for a moment to get his bearings. He ignored the faint calls of hidden spirits, beckoning him away from the path, and considered his present situation _logically_.

He isn't lost. The Great Ganondorf doesn't get lost.

He mentally retraced his steps. There was only one road leading into the Kokiri Forest and one path that entered the lost woods. From there, he had to choose from three paths. He had memorized the correct sequence of twists and turns that brought him to this point. He knew he got those correct. If he hadn't, well, he didn't want to think about what would have become of him.

Paths shouldn't move, though the trail through the Lost Woods isn't your normal path. They don't call it the Lost Woods for nothing.

No, he isn't lost. These damned cursed woods are testing him.

The first time Ganondorf had confronted the Great Deku Tree, he had used magic to summon Gohma as a threat when the ancient forest guardian refused to give him the Kokiri Emerald. He could discern the correct path by tracing his own magic. Eyes closed, Ganondorf used his breath to bring his mind into pin-point focus, like aligning the lenses of a spyglass. Electric magic coursed through his veins as he summoned the spell that would send his consciousness outward.

Ganondorf had always had the unique ability to reach the minds of beasts. His mothers had called it a gift from the gods. He never questioned that, though the mystery of _which_ god or goddess blessed him with such talents remained. None of the Three were associated with such magic.

He reached out for the mind of the parasite and the remnants of his binding spell, passing over the smaller, insignificant thoughts of squirrels, birds, and lesser insects. Gohma was a queen, and therefore would be surrounded by the minds of her horde of hungry offspring. To his surprise, Gohma's enormous presence wasn't there, though a faint purple shimmer in his mind's eye told him traces of his magic remained straight ahead.

Perplexed, Ganondorf quickened his pace down the trail ahead.

Pushing through a familiar thicket of foliage, Ganondorf entered the clearing before the Great Deku Tree. He strode up to the gnarled, wooden face of the forest guardian prepared to demand the emerald from the stubborn old tree only to find the forest spirit's mouth gaping open. A heavy silence and unnatural stillness permeated the tree and the surrounded clearing. The breeze that blew through his branches made a crackling sound rather than a gentle rustle, and withered, brown leaves floated down to settle at Ganondorf's feet.

Part of him felt remorse. His intention wasn't to _kill_ the tree, for killing something so ancient and knowing felt like a waste. He simply hoped to weaken the spirit enough to obtain what he desired.

_Pity._ Ganondorf thought, however there is nothing for it now. Besides, the death of the Deku Tree certainly made his job easier; the Kokiri Emerald must be hidden in the temple inside, which he now had access to...

A distinct rustle in the branches above stalled Ganondorf's movements and then a deku nut struck his shoulder with more force than it ought to have. With a surprised grunt, Ganondorf stepped back and peered into the upper branches, searching for any signs of movement in the tangle of leaves and branches. That was odd, though this whole place was odd. Ganondorf was about to proceed forward when a soft thump behind him made him turn.

To his great surprise, a short, blonde Hylian clad in odd green clothes was standing before him with defiant blue eyes. A small wooden slingshot dangled from his left hand.

"Who do you think you are playing games with me, boy?" He growled as his hands moved towards the pommels of his blades. The strange man was short, even for a Hylian, and slight of build. Ganondorf was nearly twice his size and no doubt outmatched him. Who was this suicidal little prick?

"You're too late." The Hylian said calmly. His features were delicate enough to be nobility, though his voice was rough and strangely accented. There was something vaguely familiar about him. "The emerald isn't here."

"You better explain exactly how you know that." Ganondorf said in deadly tones as he drew his scimitars from their sheaths. The newly sharpened blades sang ominously as he did so. "And quickly."

The Hylian drew his sword and shield in kind, squaring off with a casual ease that made Ganondorf want to hit him.

A slow smirk spread across the stranger's face and then he moved, feinting left in a flash even before Ganondorf released the ball of fire from his hand. The flames caught where his feet had been moments before, smoking the dew-covered grass. Ganondorf was put off by how easily he avoided his spell...as if he had known it was coming.

As they circled each other, Ganondorf looking for an opening to attack and the stranger maintaining distance between them, Ganondorf studied the man's oddly familiar face. His piercing blue eyes, golden hair, his delicate features...he could have been a member of the King's court, though Ganondorf knew he never saw this man in the castle. And then his memories slotted into place like a key into a lock.

"I've seen you before...at the temple of Hylia." Ganondorf muttered as he adjusted his grip on his blades, twirling them menacingly. "Who are you, a spy for the king? Did he send you after the stones?"

The Hylian remained silent.

"Tell me, boy!"

Enraged by the thought of the Hylian King taking away the power he so desperately needed, Ganondorf lunged forward, his twin blades swiping furiously. With a reverberating _clang_ and a _thump_ , the Hylian's sword and shield met his blows mid air. Ganondorf drew back and attacked again, and again. The man parried each and every blow with surprising strength and grace, given his slight build, and he didn't fight like a Hylian.

Ganondorf tried to make sense of the mysterious warrior as he struggled to land a blow. His style was nothing like Ganondorf had ever seen. Rather than the stiff, over-thinking movements of a trained Hylian soldier, he was fluid and graceful with elements of Sheika and quite inexplicably, _Gerudo_ fighting styles intermixed with pure improvisation. Ganondorf could tell right away that the man wasn't a trained warrior. His moves were undisciplined, yet quick, and when they broke apart, the way he stalked around Ganondorf reminded him of a wolf.

Their fight became a dance, as the Hylian countered and challenged every move, every trick up Ganondorf's sleeve, as if he knew them by heart, and the Gerudo became convinced that he was in fact a spy. Eventually, Ganondorf's impatience and quick temper showed through. He drove forward with an angry roar, using all the force he could muster, but the Hylian dropped to the grass and rolled, disappearing from his sight.

A wild cry sounded behind him and Ganondorf turned just in time to narrowly avoid the surprise attack. He winced at the stinging cut; he had been a fraction too slow and the tip of the man's blade sliced through the thinner armor at his back, giving him a long, thin cut from his shoulder blade to his hip.

"Ugh, you little weasel!" Ganondorf bellowed as he attacked once more, though he was too slow. The slice across his back made his movements awkward and painful and he hated to admit that the little man was far more agile. He backed away and began circling the Gerudo King. There was no doubting the man was skilled and could have easily landed more blows by now, yet he didn't. Ganondorf realized with no shortage of irritation that he was trying to wear him out.

The slight Hylian back-flipped away from Ganondorf's blades and taunted him with his sword in an incredibly Gerudo fashion, which only fed Ganondorf's hot rage.

"Who are you?" He demanded, barely disguising his labored breathing.

"A friend with a message. The stones won’t bring you the power you seek.” The Hylian said cryptically, still battle-ready but not threatening. His sharp blue eyes tracked Ganondorf's every move.

"Ha! Hyrule is no friend to me." He replied coolly. He kept his blades at the ready, refusing to be the one to still as they circled around the dead tree, boots crunching dead leaves. "You insult me, stranger, to name yourself friend as you steal the stones for your master."

"I have no master. The sacred stones are not yours to keep and they're not Hyrule's either." He said as he paralleled Ganondorf's movements.

"So you say. Well then, _rogue_ , I suggest you keep your nose where it belongs...or you might loose it."

With that warning, Ganondorf drove forward once again, watching the familiar way the rogue Hylian dodged and deflected. He saw an opening and suddenly pulled back as the green-clad warrior flipped away from his latest attack.

He aimed and let one of his scimitars fly, hurtling it towards the Hylian who hung in the air, mid-backflip. The sharp steel sliced his leg before curving away to embed itself in the soil and Ganondorf smirked triumphantly as the man's pained cry rang out in the silent woods.

In long, quick strides, Ganondorf was on him, effortlessly lifting the smaller man before he could struggle to his feet. The gash in his thigh was steadily bleeding; not lethal but debilitating. With force, Ganondorf slammed the man's back into the rough bark of the Deku Tree and held him up by his pale neck as the idiot choked and struggled against his grip.

"You're a talented swordsman, I'll give you that." Ganondorf said, watching as the Hylian's face flushed red. "It seems a waste to kill you, though I can't have some troublesome drifter interfering with my business. Nothing personal, you understand."

Deceptively strong fingers tried and failed to pry Ganondorf's hand free as the man gasped and writhed desperately. A bitter smile spread across Ganondorf's lips and he tightened his grip further, ensuring his victory...

A white glow blazed from his left hand. It's light pulled Ganondorf's focus and his fingers slackened on the man's neck in shock.

The golden mark of the Triforce blazed fiercely on his hand.

Ganondorf barely heard the thump of the blonde hitting the ground. The Triforce. How by the Goddesses did this man bear such a mark?

Ganondorf looked down, watching the Hylian cough and wheeze, clutching his purple neck as blood pooled in the grass from the gash on his thigh. The mark was still visible, though its light faded quickly until a dull outline of the symbol remained. Sod the stones; this man could be his key.

Before the little Hylian could gather his strength, a swift thump to the back of his head knocked him out cold. Ganondorf ripped the strange green cap from his head and used the ragged hat to bandage his bleeding leg (the ugly old thing was practically a rag anyway). He tossed him over his shoulder, noting that the man was all lean muscle and bone and weighed practically nothing.

By the time he emerged from the cursed woods, the sun was fading behind the eastern mountains. He called his horse, who was grazing in the grass nearby and tossed the unconscious man across the saddle, climbing up behind him. As he rode across the darkening fields, the Gerudo King's mind was buzzing with questions. Despite claiming to be unaffiliated, it is obvious the Hylian knows more than he ought to and Ganondorf would find out the meaning behind that mark if it were the last thing he did.

The steady thumping of hooves on dirt and the horse's rhythmic breaths were the only sounds as he rode through the night. Stall-children rose from the dirt in his path, and quickly returned to dust as he rode past. The moon rose and cast its faint light across the Hylian's face; dirty and worn from battle though still shockingly beautiful. Ganondorf grinned savagely and let out a wild laugh as he sped towards the dark canyons ahead.

With this treasure, he knew his luck had turned.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For better or for worse, things are different.

Something was wrong.

Once his valued confidant and oldest friend, Nabooru had become a source of his ire. Over the past several months, Nabooru felt their long friendship crumbling like worn sandstone as they often found themselves devolving into arguments she did not remember beginning. Not to mention, he left the tribe for weeks at a time on unexplained business. He had never had such urgency to leave before...

Impa’s warning had been chilling, though this feeling of wrongness had been plaguing Nabooru for months and the Sheika’s cautioning words fit with her nameless anxiety over her king in a way she could not explain.

Not to mention, Koume and Kotake haunted his every step as of late.

They were the most perplexing piece in all of this. When they were younger, Ganondorf’s relationship with his twin mothers was strange and distant at best but recently the elders called on him more and more. They disappeared in the spirit temple for days at a time, forbidding anyone except the king from entering. As the exalted one, the spiritual leader of their tribe, Nabooru resented this as they regularly blocked her from prayer and her research into lost Gerudo artifacts. What could they possibly be up to?  
  


Nabooru did not want to believe they would act against the tribe, but she could believe they would act against Hyrule. The elder witches despised outsiders, especially Hylians. And Nabooru knew their grudges left an impression on their son.

In the days following their return from Hyrule, Nabooru saw little of Ganondorf. He and his mothers were absent from the council meeting, which was held monthly and comprised of the tribal elders, herself and the king. And now he was gone once again. He left in the night three days after their arrival with no explanation. She has not seen or heard from Koume or Kotake either but Buliara, the guard at the wasteland gate, told her the Spirit Temple was once again forbidden and turned her away, much to Nabooru’s indignation. But their bans only hindered her investigation temporarily.

Nabooru rose early in the morning, beating even the rising sun. She had a self-satisfied smirk on her face as she hastily packed food and water for the day and headed for the gate. As Nabooru climbed the ladder and topped out on the guard tower, she found the night guard, Aisha, tapping her foot impatiently on the stone as she looked out over the lightening sands with angry, tired eyes.

“By Din, where have you been Iban?!” The tired guard cried, whipping around to face Nabooru and promptly coloring in surprise and embarrassment. “Oh, Exalted Nabooru! My apologies... it’s just, Iban is late to relieve me this morning and I’ve been standing watch since midnight.”

“So I heard.” Nabooru said, keeping her face blank. “Get some rest, Aisha. I’m your relief until Iban decides to show.”

The guard thanked her profusely for her kindness and bowed, which Nabooru dismissed with a wave of her hand. Aisha’s head disappeared down the ladder...

Nabooru grabbed the rope attached to the parapet and hopped over the other side of the wall.

She lowered herself slowly, ignoring the burn of the rough rope against her hands. Her feet dropped, sinking up to her ankles in the deep sand piled up against the gate wall. Iban would be fine in a few hours. The powdered root Nabooru slipped into her wine last evening was likely doing its magic, causing its victim to throw up everything in her bowels. She hated to pull such a trick on a friend, though she needed to do this. She horrible feeling that she was racing against time.

Nabooru tied a red veil over her nose and mouth to keep out the swirling sands and set out into the wasteland.

She entered the temple cautiously. A soft whoosh through the air was her only warning and she narrowly avoided two flying clay pots, which smashed loudly against the back wall. Attacking jars...that’s a new one. Nabooru approached the broken clay and hovered her ringed hands over the pieces, feeling the electric fizzle of magic dissipating. An enchantment done by the twins to scare off intruders perhaps. Too bad the killer jars had the opposite effect on Nabooru, though she should have been more careful.

Her trained eyes carefully scanned the temple for more traps. The twin witches were wickedly clever and Nabooru knew she would need all her wits about her when following them.

The rest of the chamber seemed oddly safe. But the fact that she could not detect any traps with her senses did not entirely reassure her. Nabooru stepped lightly passed the cobra statues and their mysterious poem. She spent years studying their script. It was cryptic and nonsensical, though she thought they were instructions for accessing the rest of the temple, which has been closed off for longer than even the elders knew.

The silver from the past. She worked out that the silver mentioned in the poem referred to the silver gauntlets, an ancient Gerudo artifact. Most said they were lost to the sands long ago though Nabooru thought they were hidden here somewhere...

Nabooru came to a standstill at the top of the short stair, studying the large block covering the archway to her right and the small vent in the wall on her left. There was more of the temple behind both obstructions, she was sure of it.

Something about that block and archway tugged at Nabooru. With closed eyes, she ran her hands over the rough sandstone block. Faint traces of magic could be felt across the Gerudo symbol carved on its front. These traces were similar to the enchanted clay pots...

The twins had a way of accessing the temple. She knew it. But how was she going to get inside?

On a hunch, Nabooru left the temple’s shady interior to study the giant monument to the desert goddess outside. The heat struck like a knife and in contrast to the dim temple, the bright light reflecting off the sand made red spots swim across her vision. It was midday; she would have to wait until evening before she attempted crossing the wastes again.

The heat would quickly become debilitating but she wouldn’t be long. Nabooru backed far enough away from the colossus to get a good view of the goddess. She studied her large stone hands, palms open and facing up, one to the right and one to the left. If only she could reach them...

Back inside the temple, Nabooru studied the vent near the floor. If she needed the gauntlets to move the block on the right side, the left was a safe bet. She crouched down on her hands and knees and peered through the vent. Cool, drafty air blew through; it smelled like ancient dirt and forgotten places. She could see dim light at the other end; too low to be the light of day so likely another room. Taking a deep breath and exhaling fully, Nabooru squeezed her arms tightly against her sides and inches towards the small opening. The low tunnel was not very long. It was just small and hot and cramped...

Nabooru tried to relax and squeeze her shoulders in next. The rough sandstone scratched at her shoulder blades and upper arms as she wriggled herself into the small vent. She quickly realized she would not have enough room to move her arms, not to mention she probably couldn’t squeeze her hips through without breaking something. She was too big. She couldn’t get through!

Nabooru’s breath quickened in the stuffy, cramped space and her chest and throat tightened. She worried she would not be able to get out. She was such an idiot! This damned vent was too small!

Stop. Breathe. Nabooru forced her breath to slow and with enough focus she stopped herself from hyperventilating. Slowly, carefully, she scooted backwards in small movements and finally, after a long, agonizing moment, wriggled herself free.

Nabooru knelt on the rough stone floor for some time, trying to catch her frantic breath. That was foolish. She nearly got herself stuck and with no one to help her, she did not know what would have happened. With a shudder she imagined the twins or Ganondorf finding her in such a compromising position.

Nabooru stood and brushed the sand from her clothes and skin. As she studied the vent, a sense of expectation slowly grew. She felt as though she would meet someone here, which was odd because she kept her plans secret.

She stood before the vent and waited, but no one arrived.

The heat of the day had passed, nothing happened in the temple, and she never saw the twins emerge. Tired, sore, and defeated, Nabooru left.

She stepped out into the late afternoon. The heat was still intense but long shadows offered respite. Curiosity made Nabooru look up to the left hand of the colossus. The cliff wall was sheer but there were cracks and the surface of the statue was rough. Perhaps she could try climbing up. But that would have to wait for another day. She would need rope and probably a trustworthy partner. Saba shares her interests in ancient artifacts. Perhaps Nabooru could convince her...she would leave out the bit about the twins.

As Nabooru made up her mind and turned to leave, a peculiar energy in the air made her freeze in her tracks.

“Look what we have here, Koume, a nosey little rat. How troublesome!”

Oh no.

There were flashes of blue and red and the elder witches were suddenly floating in front of her on gnarled broomsticks, cackling horribly.

“Oh yes, if it isn’t young Nabooru. How troublesome indeed!”

Koume and Kotake’s laughter rang harshly in her ears as they circled her menacingly.

“You two - I knew you were up to something!” Nabooru said, not bothering to come up with a cover as she watched them surround her on their flying brooms. “What are you doing to our temple?”

“Oh ho, ho, wouldn’t you like to know, child?” Kotake jeered overhead.

“Such nosey children should be punished!” Koume cackled as they closed in on her slowly.

Nabooru narrowed her eyes defiantly. What could they do to her? Ganondorf would be enraged if they dared harm her...wouldn’t he?

“Are you threatening me?” Nabooru challenged, drawing herself up to her full height before the cackling witches. “You’ll be sorry when I tell Lord Ganondorf about-”

“About what?” Kotake interrupted. The witches were flying in a tight circle around her now; there was no escape. “When we’re finished with you, you won’t be able to tell him anything!”

The sand shifted beneath her feet, churning, and pulling her down. Nabooru screamed and thrashed, trying anything to get free but the witches only laughed and gripped her shoulders with gnarled hands, holding her down. Blue and red magic flared and her legs, encased by heavy sand, began to feel cold. No, _freezing_. Something hard, cold, and unforgiving encased her legs. To her horror, silver armor rose out of the sand, building around her, chilling her bones. Nabooru screamed in agony, rage, and fear as the twins laughed their horrible laughter.

No one was around to hear her.

________________

When Link came to, he was acutely aware of his neck.

It ached. And as he became more aware, he realized how raw it felt when he breathed and swallowed. He opened his eyes and was briefly disoriented by the unexpected sight of a low, tan ceiling and the feel of drafty air.

He was laying on a firm mat on the floor of a cell. That explained his other aches and pains and his stiff back.

Links fingers rose towards his neck, feeling the swollen flesh. Ah, that’s right. Ganondorf tried to strangle him to death. And he almost succeeded if Links hand had not...

Link examined the back of his left hand. The Triforce was a faint mark once again, easily passed over. It had a habit of lighting up when he was in dire situations, but never with any consistency or when he wanted it to.

His right thigh was bandaged as well, and to his surprise it was bare. Link moved the thin, itchy blanket back and found he was dressed down to his small clothes. Numerous scars from battles past, superficial cuts and bruises dotted his skin. Some of those were from his fight with Ganondorf but most were from his rugged lifestyle and being generally careless. The cell was completely bare, with no furnishings or objects other than the thin futon and blanket and a chamber pot in the corner. Link noticed his green tunic and trousers laid in a crumpled pile on the other side of the cell, though his belts and gear were missing.

Link laid back, wincing slightly as his sore muscles moved, and considered his situation.

He was in a Gerudo cell. That means Ganondorf brought him to the Fortress. For what reason, he did not want to dwell on, but Link counted the fact that he was bandaged and in a decent cell as a positive. He looked out through the bars at the dimly lit corridor. He has been through the Gerudo Fortress many times, both as a prisoner and an honorary member of the tribe, but they never brought him here. The stone looked older and darker than the sandstone in the main halls and the small window in his cell was high on the wall, near the ceiling. He was probably in a basement.

The rhythmic tap of footsteps picked up down the hall and increased in volume. Link quickly sat upright, listening to the footfalls as they neared. There were two sets, one much heavier than the other.

Link’s heart quickened as he sat upright on the low futon, listening to the pair’s approach.

A Gerudo guard wearing the customary purple, came into view and stopped before his cell with a large ring of keys in hand, closely followed by Ganondorf. To his mild surprise, Link noticed his black armor was gone. Instead, the large man was dressed like, well, a Gerudo, with colorful loose-fitting pants and a minimal top that hung from one shoulder and left a fair amount of his vast chest exposed. Somehow the light fabric managed to make him look larger than his dark, imposing armor.

As the guard searched for the right key, mumbling and cursing in Gerudo, Link watched Ganondorf study him. The Gerudo King’s golden eyes flickered towards his left hand and then traced the faint pattern of scars up to meet Link’s eyes. His gaze was intense; Link felt the pressure of it on his skin but refused to let his unease show through, returning the man’s gaze blankly.

The guard finally managed to find the right key, opening the door, and placing the key ring in Ganondorf’s broad hands. He strode into the cell, filling the small space with his bulk. The door shut behind him and Link heard the lock clicking into place. The guard stepped back but watched over them, eyeing Link with suspicion as she rested a hand on her glaive.

“You were a worthy adversary, little Hylian, though a fool.” Ganondorf said, his deep voice rumbling over the syllables. “Tell me your name.”

This was not how Link wanted to talk to the Gerudo King, not as his prisoner, though he supposed Ganondorf was right. His over-confidence in the woods got him into this mess. “L-” He opened his mouth to answer, but pain seared his raw throat as he attempted to speak and he gasped, falling into a fit of agonizing coughs.

Doubled over, Link heard Ganondorf speak to the guard outside in quick Gerudo. Her footsteps faded out of his hearing.

“She is fetching water.” Ganondorf mentioned as Link recovered. “Apologies about the throat.”

Link gasped and rubbed his aching neck. Time passed painfully slow as they waited for the guard to return in silence. Link felt Ganondorf’s eyes on him and this time he avoided his gaze, staring through the cracks in the floor as the silence pressed upon him like a weight.

When the guard returned, the pressure of Ganondorf’s gaze left him and Link thanked the stars that she relieved him of the oppressive awkwardness. Entering the cell with reluctance, she knelt to set a pitcher of water beside him and all but shoved an earthen cup into his hands. Link bowed his head gratefully, though she had already turned her back to him. Once the water touched his parched lips, he drank deeply, savoring the blissful feeling of the cool water on his hot, raw throat-

“Drink slower or you’ll make yourself sick.” Ganondorf’s voice interrupted his peace harshly. “I need you well enough to answer my questions.”

This was an interrogation then. Great. Finished, Link lowered his empty cup and raised his eyes to meet the Gerudo’s. He had to crane his neck to do so as the man towered over him. To his surprise Ganondorf crouched, bringing himself closer to Link’s level.

“Let’s try that again. Your name, Hylian.”

“L-” Link coughed and cleared his throat. It was still sore, only less raw. “Link.”

His voice sounded rough and gravelly in his ears. It was probably because Ganondorf nearly crushed his windpipe. Link glared at the large Gerudo, wondering how Ganondorf thought it had been a good idea to throttle him and then expect Link to answer his questions.

Ganondorf waited, but Link said no more. “Just Link?”

Link nodded.

“What is your family name?”

Link shrugged.

“Hm.” Ganondorf sat back on his heels and narrowed his eyes, peering at him from under bushy orange eyebrows. Link narrowed his eyes back, challenging him. A charged silence rang out through the dungeon and behind them, the guard shifted uncomfortably as she watched the silent Battle of Wills.

“The mark on your hand. What does it mean?” Ganondorf broke first, asking a question Link had predicted from a mile away. Of course, he would want to know.

As for Link’s answer, the mark meant what people wanted it to mean. It was amazing really, how other divined such profound meaning from it. Link never had the heart to correct them when they called him their savior, Goddess-chosen, a Hero…

Impatient fingers snapped in his face, startling him to attention. “Hey!” Ganondorf grunted roughly. “Answer me, boy.”

Link sighed and tried to clear the knots in his throat once again. “The Triforce of Courage.” He said evenly, watching as the Gerudo’s eyes widened. Their gold gleamed in the dim light and for a horrific moment, Link saw a piece of the obsessive monster he fought in that dark perversion of Hyrule Castle…

Link turned his head, blocking out that gaze.

“Ah, a symbol of Farore. I have never seen such a mark, _Hylian_.” With a growl, Ganondorf gripped his chin roughly, turning Link’s head to face him. “How did you come by it then? Did you steal it? I saw you in the Temple of Hylia. Is that where you obtained it, hm?”

His rough, calloused fingers were hot against Link’s skin. Against his strong grip, Link shook his head. _You gave it to me_. Link thought bitterly. He didn’t even want it but Ganondorf stole his way into the Sacred Realm, tried to take the Triforce and it _broke_. Link did not know how the other pieces found him and Zelda.

Just then, frantic footsteps came from down the hall and a second guard ran up to the cell, features frantic and out of breath. The two guards spoke in quick Gerudo. They seemed alarmed about something. A raid gone wrong perhaps. Distracted, Ganondorf released him and turned to his guards. While Link sat and rubbed Ganondorf’s burning touch from his chin, they spoke urgently in words he could not understand.

Link recognized a Gerudo curse (Nabooru taught him a few of those) and then the second guard left in a hurry. Ganondorf turned to Link, looking surprisingly stressed.

“I must go. My second in command went missing in the sands.” Ganondorf said and Link’s eyes widened in surprise. “We will continue this when I return, Hylian.”

Locking his cell and passing the keys on to the guard, Ganondorf left.

Second in command. Nabooru. _Missing_.

As a child, Link remembered standing on the hand of the Desert Goddess with the silver gauntlets in hand. Nabooru watched him from the sands bellow, smiling triumphantly, but then…

He shut his eyes, shaking his head against the memory of them holding her down as she screamed. She told him to _run_ but he could only watch, pure terror holding him still as they transformed her right in front of him.

Her tribe would never find her. Link had rushed back to the Temple of Time, and when he found her in the future, she fell out of the Iron Knuckle, weakened and terrified. For seven years she had been trapped in that horrible armor, a mindless slave to those evil twin witches. Ganondorf’s _mothers_.

His mothers, Twinrova. Even back then, Link had a suspicion that they were more involved with Ganondorf’s rise to power than anyone knew. If he could stop them now, then maybe he could prevent Ganondorf from continuing down his dark path. And he would need Nabooru’s help.

But there was not much he could do in his present condition. Link eyed the pitcher and poured himself another glass of water, downed that and ignoring his cramping stomach, poured yet another. Meanwhile, the guard watched his every move. He waved at her and turned the pitcher upside down, showing that it was empty and gave her a pleading look.

The guard sighed and approached the iron bars. She motioned him to stay back as she unlocked the door and cautiously stepped through, hand tense on her weapon.

Getting the hint, Link set the pitcher down and backed away. On cue, his stomach grumbled loudly, and her sharp eyes snapped up to stare at him.

“Hungry too?” She asked, her Gerudo accent heavy and awkward. Link nodded. With the pitcher in hand, she regarded him at her full height, making him feel short. The Gerudo always made him feel short. “Fine. But no tricks or you wish you were born a woman.”

To show her he got the point, Link nodded and sat down on his mat obediently. The guard backed out of his cell cautiously, locked the door and left him.

Time passed by slowly and the time of day was impossible to determine, but his cell grew hot and stuffy as the hours crept by, so he had to assume Ganondorf met with him in the morning. The guard returned with more water and a plate of fruits, dried meat and flat, unleavened bread. Link made sure to thank her.

He ate and dressed himself in his clothes, which had lain in a crumpled heap on the floor. They were still torn and dirty from his fight with Ganondorf and had obviously been thoroughly searched. Link noticed they even took the Royal Ocarina and he hoped no one recognized it. Later, an elderly Gerudo woman came by, accompanied by another guard.

She silently gestured at him to undress again so she could examine the wound on his leg and change his bandages. She poked and prodded his neck, which was still bruised and had him open his mouth, peered in his throat, and tutted disapprovingly. She muttered something in Gerudo and handed him a red potion for his bruised neck, which he took gratefully. As the temperature began to cool once again, more food and water was brought to him and he ate ravenously as the potion worked its magic.

By what he thought to be evening, he was feeling much better. Another guard came to relieve the first, and before they were about to switch off, he waved them down. The two women glared at him.

“May I have my ocarina?” He asked, speaking softly to accommodate his healing throat. The guards stared at him blankly for a moment before understanding dawned. He had a feeling most Gerudo were not fluent in Hylian.

“The instrument?” The day guard asked, and he nodded. The two women looked at each other and seemed to hold a silent debate with their eyes.

“Bored already, eh?” Said the night guard and Link nodded. They turned to each other again and spoke quickly in terse Gerudo. “Fine, Hylian. You may have your instrument. But no games, ok?”

Link nodded and thanked them both, to which the day guard rolled her eyes. While her relief stayed with him, the first left and returned with the blue ocarina in her hands. She wordlessly shoved it through the bars and Link took it from her hands, settling down on his mat.

He felt the night guard’s eyes on him, so he lifted the Royal Ocarina to his lips and played a soft tune to distract himself. As the hours passed, the air in the dungeon grew bitterly cold and Link shivered. Wrapping the wool blanket tightly around him, he tried to get some sleep.

The next morning, after a cold night of barely any sleep, Link roused himself and looked to the guard, who was barely awake and looked exhausted. Even considering the lousy sleep, he felt much better today. The potion healed his neck and his wounded leg did not hinder him as much as he stretched and moved about the cell. Eventually, his night guard’s relief came with more water and food in her hands. This one had a scimitar at her hip. That was good.

The guards exchanged words and his night guard left. The morning guard opened his cell and stepped through, holding her scimitar at the ready as she set the plate of food in his waiting hands.

“Sarqso.” Link said and she froze for a moment, surprised that he thanked her in her own tongue and then her brow furrowed in puzzlement when he said “I’m sorry”.

What happened next was a blur. Link jumped to his feet and flipped the plate of food, splattering the breakfast all over the guard. He yanked the sword from her slackened grip. She gave an enraged cry, yelling for backup in her native tongue as Link dashed into the far corner and shoved the Ocarina of Time to his lips.

He brandished the blade in his other hand to keep her at bay as he played the Requiem of the Spirit. Down the hall, he heard the patter of many feet approaching. He disappeared in a flash and the guard screamed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link can't help but be a hero.

Standing before the blocked archway, Link donned the Silver Gauntlets. They were a pain to retrieve, though climbing up the outside of the Desert Goddess was much quicker than the slew of trials and traps he had to get through as a child. He fortunately beat the heat, though the morning sun was still harsh enough to burn the back of his neck and his fingers were cracked and raw from the rough sandstone.

As he slipped on the ancient gauntlets, Link brushed aside the unsettling feeling of _déjà vu_. At this point, he has encountered that feeling often enough to consider it “normal”, just another consequence of crossing time. Tremendous strength and power flow directly from the gauntlets to his muscles. Link set his gloved hands against the block and pushed, still grunting with strain and effort as he moved the block forwards inch by inch. Eventually it fell into a depression in the floor and he breathed a sigh of relief, massaging his aching tendons. The gauntlets may lend him strength but moving such a massive weight of stone still takes its toll.

This time, Link ignored the passages leading to the temple’s map and compass. The layout of every temple is burned into his memory and he progressed through the Spirit Temple’s familiar dark and dusty corridors, surpassing the myriad of small puzzles and minor enemies with ease. Fortunately, he is much more skilled this time around, though Link knows the Iron Knuckle ahead will be a challenge. He is waltzing into this battle with a stolen scimitar, and no shield, potions, or even a fairy to help him in a pinch. Not to mention his injuries. As much as Link hated to admit it, the wound on his leg was slowing him down. At least the Mirror Shield is close at hand.

Link entered a familiar hall, lined with columns and red carpet. As he expected, the door at the other end was blocked by metal bars and a hulking armored monstrosity stood guard in front. The first Iron Knuckle.

Fortunately, the twins neglected to trap any hapless victims inside this one, though it was still enormous and armed with a weapon that could crush him with one hit. Not to mention, the Mirror Shield laid behind that door and his injuries and dehydration were taking a toll. He tried not to dwell on these shortcomings as the Iron Knuckle took notice of him and lumbered in his direction. Link tested the weight of the scimitar, swinging and tossing the blade to get a feel for its shape. For a moment, Link ached for the familiar feeling of the Master Sword. This blade was much lighter than he was used to, and the curved shape felt odd, but it would do.

Link waited in front of a pillar as the Iron Knuckle approached and drew its giant battle-axe back slowly. As intimidating as they were, Link knew the secret to fighting an Iron Knuckle was simply dodging. The things were big, slow, and stupid; essentially enchanted armor. Their fighting style reminded him of a popular Terminian carnival game that involved whacking puppet moles with mallets…

The axe came down on him like a hammer and Link dashed behind the pillar just in time. The monster brought the pillar down to a pile of dusty rubble and as it struggled to free its axe from the mess of stone, Link sprinted forward, nimbly jumping over the rubble and pushing off of the Iron Knuckle’s axe to strike at its head. He got a few quick strikes in before the thing recovered and swung at him. The scab on his thigh tugged uncomfortably as he moved away, a reminder to move carefully and save his limited energy. Link fought with more deliberation and care than he normally would; dodging the monster’s swings, rushing in to strike, and repeating. As he struck, bits of armor fell, increasing the monster’s speed but no matter how much armor it lost, Link would always be faster.

Rolling behind the Iron Knuckle, Link jumped onto its back, burying the scimitar through its chainmail and into the void underneath. The thing roared and Link sprang away as it collapsed, watching as it vanished in a swirl of dark magic. He heard the familiar slam of the bars falling away and ran through the open door.

As Link approached the giant chest, he struggled to catch his breath. That fight took more out of him that he expected, and the midday heat seemed to suck the life out of his sore muscles as he stood on the palm of the goddess statue. He retrieved the Mirror Shield from the chest, feeling that familiar spark of joy as he held the artifact in his hands. No matter how many years went by, treasure chests never lost their allure.

Ignoring the fatigue in his muscles, Link pressed on through the long series of puzzles and traps, picking up bombs and other useful items from hidden chests along the way. He knew the twins were here, up to Goddess knows what in the temple’s inner sanctum, and wondered if they sensed him. Part of him desperately wanted to fight them, to rid the world of their evil magic once and for all, though he had a delicate game to play with the tribe’s shaky trust and killing their elders now could present a diplomatic problem later. His priority was to rescue Nabooru, bring her home, and hope the guards don’t kill him on sight. Battling the twins would have to wait.

Link’s heart hammered in his chest as he pushed the final mirror into place and stood on a platform that was secured by giant chains reaching down from the ceiling. Steeling his jaw, he angled the Mirror Shield to reflect the beam of white light, activating the sun face. With a deep, metallic groan, the chains lowered him down before the face of the second Desert Goddess. As Link reflected the beam of light onto her face, he wondered how and why the Gerudo’s ancient ancestors built such large and elaborate puzzles. The statue’s head exploded around him and he leapt across the gap and through the dark opening.

Link ran through the tunnel and into the widened hall. The sight of the hulking armored giant at the far end of the hall, sitting in its mockery of a throne, made Link’s heart ache with grief. As he approached, sword and shield at the ready, the Iron Knuckle stirred.

It rose and rose, towering over him, and Link watched in petrified horror as it looked at its giant gloved hands in confusion. Link did not know how much Nabooru remembered of her long imprisonment. He could never bring himself to ask her…

The giant battle-axe materialized in its hands and with an inhuman bellow, the Iron Knuckle charged and swung. Link dodged and threw himself forward to attack, knocking a piece of armor loose, which faded away into tendrils of dark magic.

He kept the dance going, despite his aching leg and the leaden feeling to his limbs. As he backflipped away from a vicious swipe, searing pain stabbed through his thigh as the wound opened again. With a pained gasp, Link’s footing slipped, and he landed off, tumbling to the floor. He cursed under his breath as he struggled to his feet, while the Iron Knuckle’s heavy, crashing steps loomed closer.

Barely on his feet, dizzy from dehydration and blood loss from his re-opened wound, the next swipe of the axe caught him by surprise. Link twisted his body to avoid the gleaming axe edge, though the blunt end caught his side and sent Link sprawling. He heard and felt his ribs crack on impact and sure enough, pain assaulted him with every labored breath as he picked himself up again.

_Right_.

By pure, stubborn will, Link kept himself upright and shoved the pain away. Familiar adrenaline rushed through his veins, fight or flight. Link knew he would always choose to fight.

Link used his pain, his adrenaline, his anguish over Nabooru, and he fought. Armor fell away with every lightening quick strike as Link advanced on the hulking monster. Hope bloomed in his chest as he began to see familiar white fabric and dark skin between the gaps in armor.

Link staggered back as the last of the armor fell away, clutching his bruised ribs and breathing heavy, pained breaths. He watched as Nabooru fell out of the remnants of twisted metal. Her amber eyes were wide, horribly confused, and her limbs trembled with exhaustion and terror. 

“W-where am I?” She asked breathlessly as her eyes frantically looked around the room before settling on him in shock. “Who are you?”

Part of him was crushed by her lack of recognition, and traumatic memories of the first time this happened replayed in his mind. They had snatched her again last time, just as he saved her. He had to get her out of here. Now. 

“We need to leave. I’ll explain soon, I promise.” Link told her earnestly, holding out a hand. Nabooru shifted away, eyes narrowing in suspicion. That suspicion hurt. 

“You’re in danger here. Please, trust me.” He urged her, nervously looking over her shoulder at the entrance to the inner sanctum, where the twins laid in wait. Magic filled the air around them and made his skin prickle. 

“You’re a voe... how did you...” Nabooru trailed off, though she caught on to the electric feeling in the air and her eyes held pure terror. “Oh Din, they’re here.”

Link nodded gravely. “Trust me.” He said as he sheathed the scimitar and pulled out the royal ocarina. Setting her jaw, Nabooru took his hand. Link played the Requiem of the Spirit and heard her gasp as they vanished. 

Link and Nabooru stumbled into the temple’s vestibule. The cobra statues stared at them and while that oppressive aura of magic was gone, Link knew no part of the temple was safe from their watchful eyes. 

“What-how-” Nabooru stammered, not believing her eyes. Then she looked at the ocarina in Links hand. “Is that the royal ocarina?!” 

“Yes. Come on, we’re not safe yet.” Link tugged her hand, urging them to leave the temple. Nabooru followed him out into the fierce heat, though he could feel her eyes on him. Outside, before the desert colossus, Links mind raced. The twins knew he was here. He could sense their fury. They needed to get somewhere safe, where their magic could not reach them. 

“This way.” With Nabooru’s hand still in his, Link headed off in the direction of the fairy fountain. They would be safe there and her magic would heal them both. 

“Look voe, I have no idea who you are, or why you have two important Gerudo artifacts that I’ve spent my life looking for, but- WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?”

Link lobbed a bomb towards the rubble marking the fountains hidden entrance and it detonated on impact, hitting them with a shock wave and spray of dust and sand. 

“Come on.” He said as she stood frozen and covered in sand with her jaw dropped, gaping at the suddenly revealed passage. Under less serious circumstances, Link would have laughed at the bewildered expression on her face. 

“How did you...who...” 

He allowed himself a grin at least as he led her into the cave.

The gentle tap of their footsteps on the tiles echoed softly as Nabooru followed Link to the Triforce engraving on the floor and the glittering pool beyond. Link smiled as he heard Nabooru gasp, eyes alight with wonder at the sight of the pink fairies fluttering over the glassy surface. Too bad he didn’t have any bottles on him...

He was hot, tired, and injured and Nabooru was not faring much better. Link approached the shimmering pool and held out a hand towards the fairies, moving slow as to not startle the flighty creatures. A curious one fluttered towards him and inspected his open palm. Deciding to bless him with her healing magic, the tiny fairy fluttered around him in an upward spiral and vanished to wherever fairies go. Link thanked her in Kokiri, testing his no longer bruised ribs. Even his injured leg and sunburns felt better. 

Link heard Nabooru approach and watched her kneel beside him. Her eyes were fixed on the fairies. 

“I have come to the temple all my life, but never knew this was here...” Nabooru said, voice nearly a whisper. She followed Link’s movements, extending her hand slowly and watching with wonder as a fairy danced up her arm and around her, vanishing above her head. “What is this place?”

“A fairy fountain.” Link told her and she looked at him in surprise. “They’re all over Hyrule.”

“A fairy fountain? The elders told us stories of those as young vai... I thought they were just tales. You’re an odd little Hylian to know of such things!” Nabooru laughed and something tight in Links chest loosened at the relaxed set of her shoulders. “But I suppose a strange little voe who knows about fairy magic can’t be a threat. Tell me, who are you?” 

Perhaps she didn’t realize how much she was asking. Link did not have much practice reciting his life’s story to others. Mostly it was because no one truly asked except Zelda and Malon, and secondly it was complicated. There was who Link felt he was when he was alone and then there was the man that Zelda, Impa, and the prophesy told him he was. There were the legends of his heroic bloodline and the blessings of Farore etched into his skin. Link did not want to be half the things he was and yet did not know how to be anything else. The effect of all this was general confusion and a unique inability to answer simple questions. Link sighed out loud. 

“My name is Link.” He said. At least he knew where he stood on his name. 

“Just Link, huh? Well Link, you can imagine I have a lot of questions for you, though I am in your debt. Thank you for saving me from that horrible curse. I...I have no idea how long I was trapped. All I remember was darkness...” She trailed off and shuddered. Links heart ached for her suffering. But it was over now, he hoped. 

“Are you alright?” He asked. They sat on the white marble steps beside the pool. The soft pink glow of fairy magic and torchlight bathed the cavern in comfortable light.

“I think so.” Nabooru started, unsure. She rubbed her upper arms as if cold. “I was following two elders of my tribe who have been acting suspicious lately. I was looking for a way into the temple when they captured me with horrible magic that I’ve never seen from them before.”

“I know.” Link said and she looked at him incredulously.

“You…what? What do you mean you know? And how did you find the gauntlets and shield anyway?”

“I’ve done this all before.” Link told her evenly and her expression only became more confused. Link sighed. He was direct to a fault, but how else does he explain this?

Link tried. He left out parts of course. There were things he was not sure if she should know yet, like her being a Sage, but he tried to tell her some of the story. He warned her of the twin’s evil magic and Ganondorf’s rise to power. He told her he stole the Royal Ocarina so he could fix all of this before it happened again, and to escape from the horrible multitudes of futures that he saw in a vision she helped him through. It felt strange to mention their future friendship, though he thought that might help. He purposely avoided going into detail about the prophecy and the Triforce. There was just too much to say and he knew mention of either would provoke more questions than he was comfortable answering. All the while Nabooru listened in silent shock.

Link was unsure of how long he talked for. It certainly felt like a long speech, possibly the longest he has talked in years. He had faint memories of being a joyful and talkative child, but ever since his childhood nightmares of Ganondorf and the death of the Deku Tree, he became increasingly reticent. When he finished, Link watched Nabooru’s expressions wearily as hushed silence pressed on them.

“At the castle, a Sheika spy named Impa gave me a warning.” Nabooru said finally. “She told me the princess had visions. You are saying those visions were true? They actually happened…or _will_ happen?”

Link nodded.

“Oh, Gan, what have you done, my friend?” She mumbled into her hands. Awkwardly, Link set a hand on her shoulder in an inexperienced attempt at being comforting.

“But you’re here to stop it? Do you have a plan?”

Link paused. “Sort of.” He said and she gave him an exasperated look. “This is part of it.” He followed up lamely.

“What do we do now?” She asked, looking at him with desperation. “What _can_ we do? What if Ganondorf is too far gone?”

“He’s not. I think we still have time.” Link was sure of it. Even if they didn’t have much time, it could be enough. Nabooru looked relieved and Link smiled.

“Let’s go then.” She said, standing up. “When we get back to the fortress, I’ll vouch for you. I’m sure Ganondorf’s ready to kill you after that stunt you pulled!”

Link regretted telling her about his escape. She seemed to find it hilarious. Together they left the fountain, stepping out into the desert night.

________________

Link and Nabooru traversed the Haunted Wasteland quickly under the light of the full moon. Between the two of them, they made quick work of any leaver or Poe that dared approach. Soon enough the desert gate loomed up ahead of them, and the fortress beyond it was a black backdrop in the frigid desert night. 

The healing magic of fairies did enough to abate their fatigue and heal their wounds, though too little sleep and sustenance still made the journey through the wasteland a taxing endeavor. Both Link and Nabooru were half-frozen, starving, and severely dehydrated by the time they stumbled upon the Gerudo gate. The moon hung high in the sky when they arrived and the tall gate was shut against the howling wastes, though torches were a light atop the parapet and they could hear voices and commotion above as they neared. 

Chains clinked and groaned as the gate lifted to reveal a small party of Gerudo soldiers. Behind them, the fortress grounds were alive with commotion, as the rest of the tribe woke and scrambled outside to see their arrival. Link saw no sign of Ganondorf. 

“Exalted Nabooru!” One of the guards cried, stepping forward. Her kohl-rimmed eyes darted between Nabooru and Link, unsure of who to focus on. “Step back from that voe! He’s dangerous!”

On cue, the others raised their glaives and spears towards them. Link sighed. 

Nabooru raises her hand and waved it down at the guards, signaling them to lower their weapons. “He’s with me, Jira. This Hylian voe saved my life. You will treat him as one of our own.” 

The guards looked taken aback and unsure of what to do. Their eyes darted between Link and Nabooru, who stood just outside the gate, shivering in the sands, as they considered this new information. 

“What’s going on?” A deep male voice asked and Ganondorf strode up to the group, eyes widening at the sight of Nabooru and Link. His face fell into a scowl as his eyes rested on Link.

“Your appearance with this Hylian warrants an interesting story, I’m sure.” He said. 

“Yes, my king. This Hylian, Link, saved my life.” Nabooru said and Link was impressed by how even she kept her tone considering all he told her about what Ganondorf would become. “We have much to tell you, my lord, however we have been through quite the journey and it is late. We both need rest before any more can be said.”

The Gerudo King folded his large arms and silently considered this; eyes fixed on Link. “That is an interesting story indeed.” He said. “Jira, see that the Hylian is fed and get him a room for the night. It seems a barred cell doesn’t make much of a difference.”

The senior guard, Jira, stepped forward to roughly grip Links shoulder and guided him away. Behind him, Link could hear Ganondorf and Nabooru conversing in Gerudo. 

Link was led inside the fortress and given food, water, and warm tea to thaw his frozen hands. All the while, Jira watched his every move like a hawk and the few passing Gerudo they encountered stared after them as she led him through the web of halls, passing small rooms and apartments which housed individuals and families. Link was led to a small, simple room with a colorfully quilted bed and a small table, adorned with little cacti and a wash bin. The cold night air entered through a simple curtained window. 

His escort stood by the door, eyeing him with suspicion. “I don’t know how you managed to escape or how you found Nabooru.” She said. “But if you try to flee again or harm anyone, I will hurt you.” 

Link didn’t reply. It was very late and complete exhaustion was beginning to set in. He moved to the bed and wordlessly sat upon it. 

“I’ll be standing guard outside so don’t try anything.” With those reassuring words, she closed the door and left him alone. 

Link knew he needed rest, but he felt oddly antsy as he sat on the unfamiliar bed, suddenly alone. Speculations on what strange conversations the sun might bring flitted through his mind. Not to mention he was filthy and covered in sand. The small washbasin on the table looked inviting. 

Link shed his green tunic and watched fine sand pour from its depths and on to the stone floor. Shaking his dirty hair revealed a startling amount as well. He seldom bothered with a full-on bath, the bowl didn’t have enough water anyway, but Link contented himself with wetting the cloth next to the bowl, using it to wipe away most of the grime. He was about to undress completely to examine his leg and finish cleaning when the sound of voices rose outside his room. Link straightened up, looking towards the door. The voices stopped and a brief knock was his only warning before the knob turned. He was genuinely surprised when Ganondorf stepped through the door.

The large Gerudo stooped slightly as he barged into the room unannounced and as he shut the door behind him, Link glimpsed the guard standing outside. Link set down the damp cloth in his hand and starred at the Gerudo, equally annoyed and weary of the large man. But there was no anger in Ganondorf’s expression. He regarded Link thoughtfully. 

“Nabooru told me you fought bravely to save her from some sort of curse.” Ganondorf said and Link raised an eyebrow, resting a hand on his hip. “If it weren’t for that mark on your hand or her advocacy, that infuriating parlor trick of yours would have cost you your life. However Nabooru is a respected and valuable member of our people and you have my gratitude for bringing her home.” 

Out of all the things that could have come out of Ganondorf’s mouth, Link least expected his thanks. He opened his mouth, feeling as though he should say something, though words failed him. Ganondorf sensed his struggle and held up a hand as if to silence him. 

“You will have all the time you need to tell your story tomorrow.” Ganondorf’s gaze fell upon his left hand. “I am anxious to hear it.”

Feeling his gaze like fire on the faint mark, Link reflexively moved his hand, stuffing it in the front pocket of his pants. Seemingly unbothered, Ganondorf’s eyes meandered up his body to bore into his. The male Gerudo cracked a brief smile, which had the odd effect of softening his sharp features.

“I will send a guard for you tomorrow. Until then, I suggest you rest and refrain from any more...outings.” Link watched Ganondorf move towards the door. His golden eyes still held Link in a smoldering gaze that made his chest feel tight and his throat as dry as sand. “Sleep well, Link.”

The door shut softly in his wake and Link stood frozen by the wash basin for a long time, staring at the space Ganondorf occupied. 

He did not sleep well. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to get this chapter out quickly because 1. I was excited to write it and 2. I'm starting to apply to graduate schools and fellowships so I'm about to get really busy. Updates might not happen as regularly for a few months but they’ll happen!
> 
> Thank you so much for all of your wonderful comments and kudos! Each one makes my day. :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one puts Link in a corner.

When Link awoke, his room was bathed in bright sunlight and he realized he had somehow slept until mid-morning undisturbed. He supposed he really needed the sleep…

As Link drug himself out of bed and to the chamber pot, he recalled that a guard would escort him to the meeting. He absently wondered when that would happen. After dressing he paced around the small space, full of nervous energy. He nearly made up his mind to break Ganondorf’s stupid rules and leave to find food and the meeting on his own when he heard someone approach. A quiet conversation occurred in hushed tones outside his door (Link forgot about the guard) and then a soft knock. 

Generally unused to sleeping indoors and therefore having a door that was knocked upon, Link felt awkward, but he opened the door all the same. Standing on the other side was Nabooru, holding a tray of food. Expecting a stern guard to take him to the dreaded meeting, Link had never been so relieved to see someone else. 

“I wanted to talk before the meeting, and I thought you might be hungry.” Nabooru said, standing in the hall as Link stood awkwardly in front of the door. “Um...can I come in?” 

Oh. Link nodded and stepped aside, blushing, and narrowing his eyes when she laughed at him. 

They sat on the bed with the platter between them, eating a breakfast of nuts, flatbread and a tasty jam made of volt fruit. Link appreciated how easily Nabooru made herself at home. It reminded him of their friendship in his original timeline. 

“Do you know what you’re going to tell Ganondorf?” She asked him through a mouthful. Link considered for a moment and then shrugged. It wasn’t like he prepared a speech or anything. He was not Zelda. Nabooru shook her head. 

“I thought so.” She said. “Look, Koume and Kotake are important. They are elders and serve on the council. And they are the mothers of our King. I have seen what they are capable of and we both know they’re up to something horrible, but aside from that mark on your hand and the royal ocarina, we don’t have a lot of solid proof. It is our word against theirs and my people don’t take kindly to Hylians. Especially voe.”

Link hadn’t thought of that. He just assumed he would tell Ganondorf the truth like he told Nabooru. It worked for her. Yet she was right. Ganondorf was different. Link didn’t know how close Ganondorf was to his mothers, or how much he knew of their plans. Simply outing them now could be dangerous in a vague political way that made him uncomfortable. The immediate danger of a monster at his throat was easy. This new kind of danger...it was tricky. And Link hated it. 

Nabooru studied his face as this new, horrible understanding dawned. “Also, you should know you aren’t just facing our King. The council of elders will be there too.” 

Link blanched and nearly choked on his half-eaten food. 

“What did you expect? The whole fortress is talking about you for Dins sake!” 

Nabooru chuckled and ruffled his hair before Link could jerk away. “You will do fine.” She said. “Most are worried that you are a spy for the Hylians. Disproving that should be easy and I will advocate for you as best I can.”

And then her face fell. “Outing the king’s mothers however...that will be the tricky part.”

Though he despised planning almost as much as meetings, Link had never been so grateful for an ally.

“Will Twinrova be there?” He asked. 

“Who?” 

Oh. Perhaps the Gerudo didn’t know about that part. “Koume and Kotake.” He clarified. 

“They have been absent for several councils, hiding out in the desert. I don’t see why they would be.” Nabooru said, though the mention of the twin witches gave her a haunted look. Link would make them pay as soon as he could. 

Just then a much firmer, impatient knock sounded at the door. 

“It is time.” Nabooru stood up and Link followed suit. His hands ached for a weapon though the stolen scimitar and the mirror shield were confiscated. His bombs were too, Link remembered mournfully. 

“Let me do the talking when it comes to the King’s mothers.” She told him before opening the door to greet the stern face of a guard. Her expression turned to surprise at the sight of Nabooru. Link thought she looked vaguely familiar. 

“Ah, Iban!” Nabooru greeted her as they stepped out into the hall. “Glad to see you well again. 

The guard, Iban, made a small bow towards Nabooru. “Sarqso, Exalted One. I am glad as well.”

When she straightened, her sharp eyes narrowed at Link. “Follow me.”

“I’ve never been escorted through my own home before. This is exciting!” Nabooru joked. The guard led them down the hall in silence, ignoring Nabooru’s teasing comments. 

The guard led them into a circular, domed room. Light filtered through a hole in the sandstone ceiling and the small circular windows that dotted the outer wall. A simple throne stood across the room from the entrance and behind it, a tiled mosaic of the Desert Goddess. There were eight other seats, four on each side, arranged in a semi-circle. Naturally Ganondorf occupied the throne. He studied Link as he and Nabooru were led into the room, but Ganondorf’s presence didn’t demand Link’s attention. His horrified gaze was frozen on the two figures sitting to the Gerudo King’s left.

_Fuck_. He thought and Nabooru stiffened at his side.

Koume and Kotake stared back, murderous rage flaring across their wrinkled faces.

Link fought the urge to run forward and fight. He could not battle them here. Yet they would use words as weapons against him and what did he have to defend himself? Now more than ever, he wished he possessed even a fraction of Zelda’s eloquence.

There were nine seats in total; seven elders took their place in a pre-determined and likely important order, leaving the seat to Ganondorf’s right empty. Link guessed that seat belonged to Nabooru. As the final elder took her seat, Link and Nabooru exchanged a brief, anxious glance. Nabooru flashed him a quick smile of encouragement and touched his shoulder before stepping forward to take her seat, leaving him alone, unarmed, with the press of nine pairs of eyes upon him. Ten if he counted the guard, Iban, who lingered by the door. Nabooru was the only one he could count as an ally and one against eight weren’t good odds...

“We are assembled here today to address the Hylian in our midst.” Ganondorf began. As he addressed his council, his eyes remained fixed on Link. “You all have voiced your concerns over his presence in our lands and demand answers. I have summoned him here to provide them.”

Link ground his teeth. This was worse than his nightmares.

“My first question is why you brought him here.” An elder grumbled from her seat at Nabooru’s right, crossing her bangle-laden arms as she shot the King a disapproving look. Many around her murmured in agreement. “Rumor spreads fast here. Many believe he is a spy for Hyrule…”

“Yes, I think Enyba speaks for all of us.” Said another. She was incredibly thin and the only one who still had red in her hair, though her dark skin was wrinkled with age.

Under the weight of their re-directed gaze, the Gerudo King’s posture was relaxed, seemingly unaffected. “If he is indeed a spy for Hyrule, letting him walk free would obviously be dangerous. And besides, he may hold information. Regardless of his allegiance, he carries the mark of the Triforce of Courage on his hand. Surely that contains useful power.”

The room erupted into curious murmurs and even Nabooru looked at him with renewed interest. When he told her who he was, he purposely left the Triforce out. Link bit back a sigh. Of course, Ganondorf thought of him as a tool, a means to an end…

“This is the first we have heard about a divine mark.” Koume said. Even the sound of her voice made Link bristle, bringing back horrible memories of her shrill laughter as she lobbed endless fireballs in his way. “Show us this mark, Hylian.”

Link wanted to refuse, but there was no way he could. He hated being made a spectacle like this and the attention of so many eyes made Link feel as if he were surrounded by foes. Weaponless, he reminded himself yet again. Reluctantly, he raised his left fist and turned the back towards his audience. The mark failed to glow, though it was visible enough against his pale skin. There were the usual gasps and whispers. Link was tired of hearing them.

“How intriguing…” Koume muttered and Link swore he saw a flash of icy blue in her yellow eyes. He suppressed a shiver.

“This boy is intriguing indeed, sister.” Kotake agreed. Her eyes flashed fiery red for a moment as they bored into the back of Link’s hand. He hastily dropped it, clenching both fists at his sides. The pain of his nails cutting into his palms helped ground him. “But a mark could mean anything. Our laws clearly state no voe are allowed in our lands, except the Great Ganondorf. I don’t care how powerful he is, the Gerudo do not need the help of _Hylians_.”

Of course, they would try to get rid of him, Link thought as he ground his teeth.

“Mark or no mark, we need to know if the Hylian is a spy.” The red-haired elder agreed. “Where do your allegiances lie, voe?”

“You can’t just ask him, Furosa! If he is a spy, why in Din’s name would he tell you?” The one called Enyba snapped and the two elders fell into bickering.

“Enough!” Ganondorf bellowed and a startled silence fell upon the room. The large man pinched the bridge of his prominent nose with his fingers and exhaled sharply. “This is going nowhere. Link, in the woods you said you answered to no master, yet Nabooru claims that you hold the Royal Ocarina and we have all seen the mark. Explain.”

Link realized he was going to have to get creative and suppressed the scream that was building in his throat. Koume and Kotake leaned forward in their seats, starring daggers at him. 

“I am not a spy for Hyrule.” Link bit out through clenched teeth. He was so tired of this. “I was raised in the forest by the Kokiri.”

More surprised whispered erupted throughout the room as elders turned and murmured to each other in Gerudo. Link had no idea what they were saying.

“A Hylian voe raised by forest spirits…” A short, ancient elder muttered. Her voice was cracked and hoarse.

“And the mark?” Elder Furosa asked.

“It appeared when I was a child.”

“What does the mark mean, Hylian?” Koume asked coldly.

Link glared at her and shrugged. It meant nothing as far as she was concerned.

“The Triforce of Courage represents the Goddess Farore.” An elder muttered and many others nodded. “Life, creation, greenery. These are all in her domain. Fitting powers for a child raised in the magic of the forest.”

“Yes, Ibis. And our king met this voe in the Lost Woods.” Elder Enyba mentioned. “No sane Hylian would ever set foot there.”

“Regardless, he is a Hylian.” Kotake said. “He must be expelled from our lands.”

“Yes sister, I agree. The Gerudo don’t need a Hylian’s help.” Koume sneered.

“He violated our trust when he escaped.” Elder Furosa agreed.

“Yes, but he found Nabooru in the Haunted Wasteland and brought her home.” Enyba countered. “Returning one of our own, despite knowing he would face consequences, takes courage and heart.”

Link noticed how the twin witches kept their faces blank at the mention of Nabooru’s disappearance and rage flared hot in his gut.

The council went on like this for what felt like an eternity. Through the elder’s endless bickering and reasoning back and forth, several factions began to form. Koume and Kotake argued for Link’s execution, while Nabooru argued for him to remain and elders Enyba and Ibis seemed to agree with her. The rest, elders Atma (the oldest), Neba, and Furosa, were unsure though preferred banishment over a death sentence. It seemed they would ultimately vote to decide his fate once all the information was gathered. When they asked him about the Royal Ocarina, Link kept his answers vague, saying the Goddesses called him to serve all Hyrule’s lands; he helped the Gorons, Sheika, and Zora too.

Link had no idea what Ganondorf was thinking. The Gerudo King remained silent for most of the meeting.

“The time has come for us to decide the Hylian’s fate.” Elder Atma, spoke, drawing the council’s attention. “The voe will be escorted outside while we come to a consensus.”

Iban led him outside and as the doors shut behind them, Link could hear the cracked voices of the council deliberating in Gerudo.

Link was angry. Angry at Ganondorf for forcing him into this situation. Angry that Twinrova showed up to argue for his death. He shrugged off the guard’s hand and walked out on the small balcony adjacent to the council chambers. The midday heat was striking, but he didn’t care. Blood dripped from his clenched fists and Link glowered over the balcony wall as he waited for the council to decide his fate. He tapped his foot to get rid of the built-up anxious energy that threatened to overwhelm him. At times like these, swinging his sword helped calm him but he didn’t even have that comfort.

Link didn’t know how long he waited, but the sun traveled across the blank sky and his skin was burnt red by the time he heard someone approach. Still fuming, Link refused to acknowledge them.

“The council has decided.” An unexpectedly deep voice said. Link whipped around, hand clutching at his side for a weapon that wasn’t there. Ganondorf stood in the tiled archway with his arms crossed and a self-satisfied smirk on his angular face that made Link’s fists twitch with anger. "The majority voted for you to remain here, under watch."

“Why did you make me do that?” Link ground out, teeth clenched tightly in his fury. Ganondorf rose an eyebrow as he took in Link’s sunburned skin and his bloody palms. His eyes trailed over to the bloodstain on the sandstone from when Link had punched the wall during his long wait, overwhelmed with anxiety and frustration.

“I did not put you in front of the council out of spite. If that’s what you thought, you are astonishingly dense.” Ganondorf retorted icily. “My people don’t trust Hylians for good reason. Regardless of my ambitions, they needed to understand why you are here. You made that quite difficult.”

Ambitions?

“What do you want from me?” Link growled. Ganondorf’s expression darkened.

“Look around you, Link.” He said, gesturing to the grounds of the fortress bellow the balcony and the endless dunes beyond. “We live on a dying land. I want prosperity for my people. I want Hyrule to answer for their crimes and to atone for their needless greed. If you helped the Zora and Gorons as you said, then you know what I’m talking about.”

Link nodded, face grim. He knew Ganondorf was referring to the Unification Wars. The atrocities Hyrule committed in secret were never atoned for. Their dark secrets were accumulated, stored in the depths of the well...

Link long suspected that Ganondorf had reasons for seeking the Triforce, other than mere greed. Now those suspicions were confirmed. Yet while his reasons were justifiable in a way, Link knew that his ambitions would only lead to destruction. He needed to steer Ganondorf in another direction, away from whatever Koume and Kotake were planning.

“Yes, but the stones won’t help you.” Link said. “They will only bring madness.”

“You have made that abundantly clear.” Sarcasm laced Ganondorf’s tone. Was that an eye roll? “I would assume one chosen by the Goddesses has another solution. Or am I wrong?”

Now it was Link’s turn to roll his eyes. No, though Link hated to admit it, Ganondorf was not wrong.

“We need to talk.” Link said and Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. “Away from here.”

Ganondorf suggested his chambers with a cheeky smirk and a low, smooth tone that made Link’s cheeks warm. Those odd effects the Gerudo had on him were puzzling and equally irritating. Link frowned at him and shook his head. “They will hear us.” He said as he pulled out his ocarina.

“Who are you referring to?” Ganondorf’s expression fell when he saw the instrument in Link’s hands. “How do you still have that? I ordered Jira to confiscate it.”

Link didn’t waste his breath telling him how easy she was to pickpocket and pressed the instrument to his lips. He stared at Ganondorf expectantly. Was the man going to come with him or not?

“Don’t you dare...” Ganondorf warned. Link stared back, challenging the larger man with his eyes as he began to play.

As the first notes of the Nocturne of Shadows rang out, Ganondorf snarled and grabbed his arm. The heat and strength of his hand was the last thing Link noticed as the desert and fortress faded around them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sort of rushed writing this in the little bits of downtime I've got these days, but I missed this story.
> 
> Thank you again for all your comments and kiddos!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Boys talk some shit out.

The divine light of teleportation cleared, plunging them into pitch darkness. At his side, Link could feel the warmth radiating from Ganondorf’s large, solid mass and could feel the man tense as he cursed in surprise.

“Where…where did you bring me, Link?” The Gerudo King growled under his breath. Even if the tune of the Nocturne of Shadows was unfamiliar, Link would have known they were standing in the vestibule of the Shadow Temple from the air alone. That musty, yet dank, cold air which was akin to grave dirt if it weren’t for that _other_ feeling to it. Link had vowed to never return here, even after he cleansed the temple. Impa had invited him to accompany her on research expeditions into the temple’s depths but each time he turned her down…

But they wouldn’t be disturbed or overheard. Not here.

Link would have warned Ganondorf to stay close, though with the way the big man was holding onto his arm, Link decided words of warning were not needed. Link gathered his magic with a slow inhale and released, slamming his hand down to the cold earth with a sharp cry as Din’s Fire exploded out from them. All at once, the ring of torches surrounding them blazed to life. Ganondorf’s warmth left his side and Link watched as the King studied the large room around them, eyes widening when he saw the stone block that sealed the entrance to the temple, with the crying eye of the Sheika carved into its cold surface.

“The Shadow Temple.” Ganondorf answered his own question in the suffocating silence, turning to Link. His expression was knowing and surprisingly fearful. Link didn’t think the man would know of this place and Hyrule’s dark secrets though he supposed it made sense that he did. “This place is _cursed_. Why? Why did you bring us here?”

The desperation and fear in Ganondorf’s voice surprised Link. Perhaps Ganondorf only had a partial understanding of the temple and what it was for. Yes, the temple was cursed but it wasn’t like visitors would catch the curse like some sort of disease.

“No harm will come to us here.” Link said, suppressing an eye roll. “It is cursed, but not in that way. No one will listen to us here.”

Ganondorf grimaced, clearly unhappy, and still thinking of whatever superstitions he held about the place. “Yes. You mentioned wanting to talk to me about something. You have a funny way of letting others in on your plans, Link. By which I mean you don’t. At all. Now, out with it. The sooner you say your peace, the sooner we can get out of here.”

“First tell me how you know about this temple. Why do you fear it?” Link countered, calmly standing in the center of the ring of torchlight as Ganondorf’s golden eyes shifted about the place as if he expected a ReDead to jump out of the walls. The larger man glowered at his question, but after a heavy pause, he obliged without further argument.

“I learned of this place during the wars.” Ganondorf muttered, tone heavy as wet sand and laced with bitterness. By the flickering glow of torchlight around them, Link noticed the flash of pain in his eyes. “Both sides took prisoners, as is natural during warfare and I will admit I did what was necessary to extract information from the Sheika spies we found within our boarders. But the soldiers we took prisoner were treated well enough and often released in better shape than they arrived. The prisoners Hyrule took however…my soldiers…they never came back the same.”

The Gerudo King’s deep voice quieted. Link noticed a weariness to his large frame that was not there before. His shoulders slumped as if bearing a great weight, yet his fist was clenched tight, shaking with anger. “While planning a rescue we forced a Sheika spy to tell us where Hyrule’s prisoners of war were kept and his directions led us here. I trust you know what went on here, Link?”

Link nodded. Yes, all too well.

“The horses were so frightened; they nearly gave away our position, so we had to leave them down the path and make the rest of the trek on foot. I can only guess they sensed the evil of this place before we did, but when my team snuck inside, we felt it immediately. In those days, blood soaked these walls. The screams we heard still haunt my dreams. We found my soldiers and escaped alive, though the scars this vile place caused my people will never heal. I can only imagine what restless spirits reside here…”

Link hung his head. Perhaps if he had known of Ganondorf’s personal connection with the temple, he wouldn’t have brought him here. He suddenly realized that while Ganondorf had corrupted all the other temples in the future/past, he had left this one alone. It’s corruption and disease started long before the King of the Gerudo became the King of Evil and Link would have to fix it in this time as he had in all the others.

“I am sorry.” Link said, terribly sorry for the wounds he reopened. The Gerudo King was silent beside him, staring ahead at the blocked entrance. Studying Ganondorf’s grief-stricken face, an idea sparked in Link’s mind. he fished the ocarina from his satchel and pressed it to his lips. The soft, soothing tones of the Song of Healing broke the dead silence of the cavern. As the final notes faded away, Ganondorf released a deep sigh.

“Thank you.” He said quietly. “That magical little instrument of yours has a number of uses, doesn’t it?”

Link smiled and shrugged. It had a few…

“It is my duty to free this temple from its curse.” Link told him after a contemplative silence. Ganondorf looked at him in surprise. “I will need to return here eventually.”

“Who sends you on such errands? The Goddesses?”

Link nodded and Ganondorf’s gaze rested on his left hand once again. “Right. You have hinted many times that you answer to them. And seemingly no one else. If the Goddesses led you to my people, I will not object, however I would like to know why. Such a favor may come with…hidden consequences.”

To Ganondorf’s surprise, Link shook his head. “The Goddesses guided me before, but this time I came to the Gerudo on my own accord.”

Ganondorf’s gaze was heavy, eyes scrutinizing. “When you appeared at the wasteland gates with Nabooru, something told me you had not escaped your cell to get away. You had been far too calm.” Ganondorf crossed his arms as he spoke and the Hylian’s blue eyes met his with mild surprise. “You knew where she was. You went to rescue her, didn’t you?”

Link nodded, relieved that the Gerudo King was so intuitive. It saved him a lot of time that would have been spent stumbling over tricky words. To Link’s surprise, he seemed to take this information in stride. “I have been told the ocarina you carry goes by another name.” The Gerudo King continued. “The Ocarina of Time.”

“How do you know it by that name?” Until now Link thought only Zelda and Impa knew that secret.

Ganondorf snorted. “You assume I am ignorant of the legends of Hyrule, Link. To the contrary, my education as a young prince was steeped in lore, not only of my people but of Hyrule and the other tribes. I understand this temple holds older secrets than Hyrule’s sins during the wars. I was raised on myths of hidden sources of ancient power that exist in the lands of Hyrule. Some of them I have found to be false through my own investigations, though others I know to be true.”

There was a glint in his sharp eyes when he said _others_ that make Link’s skin prickle. Link knew he was referring to the Triforce. What else did Ganondorf know?

“Koume and Kotake spoke to you of these things.” It was a statement rather than a question.

“Yes. I could not help but notice you were startled by their presence during the meeting. And angered.”

“Koume and Kotake kidnapped Nabooru.” Link said firmly, watching Ganondorf’s expression change. “I witnessed it as a child when it first happened. If I hadn’t brought her back, she would have remained their prisoner for seven years.”

“Seven years…” Ganondorf muttered. He seemed devastated by the news but not as surprised as Link would have guessed. “Why?”

“Nabooru was suspicious of their activity in the temple and went to the Spirit Temple to investigate. I was able to free her seven years later and defeated them. What do you know of their plans?”

“They told me stories of the Triforce since my youth and of a prophecy that said I was destined to bring the Gerudo to a new age of prosperity. They are ever crafty and secretive, though they desire this power for me greatly. I am, you have noticed, the only man among my people. Are you aware of the significance of that?”

“I know that a man is born among the Gerudo every hundred years and that he is destined to be king by law.” Link said automatically, though the look in Ganondorf’s eyes made him wonder if he was missing something.

Ganondorf nodded. “Yes, and with the birth of a Gerudo male, there is always a prophecy.”

  
Icy fingers clawed up Links spine as the word _prophecy_ rang ominously in the air between them.

“I was reminded of my prophecy repeatedly. I was told that I would seek great power and fortune for my people, but that opposing forces would attempt to stand in my way. Curiously, one of those forces they spoke of was a child of Farore...”

Link stood motionless. They both did; blue and gold eyes locked in a staring contest from opposite sides of the glowing ring of torches. The Shadow Temple radiated cold silence around them, defying the warmth of the torches, as if holding its stale breath in wait of their answer.

“Hmph.” Ganondorf snorted and then he _laughed_. Unrestrained, roaring, rumbling laughter echoed throughout the dead chamber, startling Link out of his skin. At first that raucous laughter reminded Link of Ganondorf’s corrupted self and he half expected the Gerudo to draw his scimitar and charge at him but this time there was no malice to his laughter. Link watched with disbelief as the man cackled and wiped humored tears from his eyes.

“So, the child from the prophecy was real and, heh heh…” It was obviously difficult for the large man to stop laughing. He seemed to find the whole situation hilarious, though Link couldn’t blame him. Sometimes you just had to laugh…or risk going insane. “He stands before me now as a man, offering his aid. If that is not a divine prank, I don’t know what is!”

“Glad you find this so amusing.” Link said in a rare sarcastic quip, even though, deep down, he was quite relieved the Gerudo took this so light heartedly. Perhaps the Song of Healing helped more than he thought. “But…you believe me?”

“It is too insane to be a lie.”

The long-held tension between them seemed to have dissolved with Ganondorf’s laughter. The silence between them was different, Link noticed. _Warmer_ if he dared to think that thought…

“So, what now, future boy?” The Gerudo King asked with a cheeky smirk and Link immediately bristled at the nickname. He sure hoped _that_ wouldn’t stick. “Something in the future must have driven you to cross time and throw a wrench in my destiny.”

“Your mothers, Koume and Kotake, will become mad in pursuing the Triforce and they need to be stopped. There is a time in which you succeed in taking the Triforce, but it drives you mad as well. You poison the whole kingdom and ultimately...you die by my hand. There is another time when I stop you from doing so and you are banished to another realm. There is even a time when you kill me. But no matter what happens, in those three scenarios, you become a monster. And your people suffer greatly in your absence.”

“I came back to create a fourth timeline in which you…” Link paused and took a breath, trying to collect his spinning thoughts. He didn’t look at Ganondorf. He couldn’t. “In which you don’t have to die. And your people don’t have to suffer.”

In the following silence, Link busied himself with staring at the cold stone ground beneath their feet and the flickering glow of flames that danced across it. He could hear his heart beating wildly in his ears. He wished Ganondorf would say something.

“I see.”

Link looked up to meet the large man’s drawn features. He gave a bitter laugh, yet his eyes remained mournful. “The prophecy did not say how my journey would end. I certainly would never have predicted this end you speak of. Nor do I want it.”

“Who leads the Gerudo in my absence?” The King asks after a heavy beat.

“Nabooru.”

Ganondorf nods knowingly. “Good. I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to take my place.” He seems to struggle with his next words. “She…Our relationship has been quite…strained as of late. I…have a lot to apologize for.”

Link’s eyes widened in shock. He certainly didn’t expect that confession, though Nabooru had confided in him about her arguments with her king many years after his banishment. The loss of his friendship plagued her for years…

Link allowed a small, soft smile and stepped towards the hulking, dark figure of Ganondorf. He extended his right hand and held the Ocarina of Time in his left. “It is not too late.”

Ganondorf eyed Link’s out-stretched hand and then his gaze met Link’s with surprising warmth. “That is good to hear.”

This time, Link welcomed the warmth and strength of Ganondorf’s hand when it grasped his. He played the Requiem of the Spirit and they left the cold darkness of the Shadow Temple behind.

Link and Ganondorf materialized in the Spirit Temple and when they stepped out onto the sands, they were surprised to see the sun dipping towards the western horizon. It was nearly dusk. They had talked for hours.

They made their way across the Haunted Wasteland in silence. Yet the quiet was far from awkward or hostile. It felt oddly comfortable to be in the Gerudo’s presence despite the precedents from history and the futures he glimpsed which told him their relationship should be anything but amicable. Link had not taken this quest upon himself to help Ganondorf personally, though he reasoned if he and the Gerudo King emerged on the other side of this as allies, that would be a pleasant bonus.

They arrived at the fortress gates in the early hours of nightfall to find the fortress bustling with chaotic activity. Soldiers were running frantically across the grounds and there was a great deal of shouting, whinnying horses, and general commotion. Ganondorf strode through the gates, his large, commanding presence and loud, booming voice silencing the agitated Gerudo as he demanded to know what was going on.

“My King!” A soldier cried out, jogging towards Link and Ganondorf. Her face was familiar to Link, though he could not place her currently. “We have searched everywhere for you and the Hylian. The council! The council of elders has been cursed into a deep sleep! We cannot wake them and Koume and Kotake are nowhere to be found!”

Link and Ganondorf shared a brief glance before the Gerudo King demands the soldier to take them to the elders. The King follows her into the uproarious fortress with Link following close behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man you guys, I am SO sorry for the two month delay! I had two fellowship applications to write plus three graduate school apps that were all due on December 1st. I basically have been spending all of my free time these past few months writing essays but it’s over now and I finally have the time and energy to work on this story!  
> I ended up writing this whole chapter in an afternoon, so sorry if there are any errors or if our boys are out of character at all. I really tried to keep them true to how I imagine them being, but this chapter also got the feels going. Also I’m fascinated with the shadow temple. Your girls got Theories. Hopefully the wait for the next one wont be so long. Anyway, hi! Good to be back! Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

The King was swiftly escorted to the healer’s quarters with Link in tow. It was a large room, bathed in moonlight from many skylights and windows, and contained several beds on which the sick and injured were cared for. On this night, five elders laid motionless on the beds. Though they were deathly still, they were kept comfortable with several thick, colorful blankets piled atop each of them. Still, it was an earie sight for Link had seen these women only hours before, lively and bright-eyed despite their age. If it weren’t for the warm color to their brown skin, he would have assumed they were dead.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, the room was peaceful and quiet. One elderly healer and her young apprentice were standing watch over the sleeping elders. The young Gerudo was grinding fragrant herbs in a mortar, while her master sipped tea from a clay mug. She raised her wrinkled eyes to the newcomers with contempt at first, a look which softened immediately as her eyes rested on the king.

“Healer Aba, tell me what happened today.” Ganondorf ordered the master healer in quiet tones.

“Lord Ganondorf, the Sand Goddess blesses your return.” Healer Aba greeted him formally, though did not move from her chair even as her apprentice stood to bow. “No one knows what happened except the elders, who are now lying here unconscious. I have examined them for injuries and tested their vitals. There are no signs of sickness, and yet they are in a deep sleep. No one has been able to wake them. As you can see, my King, only five of the elders are present. Elders Koume and Kotake were missing from the chambers and no one has seen nor heard of them since the council convened.”

“Where is Nabooru?” Ganondorf asked and Link didn’t have to look at his face to know the man’s face was stressed with worry.

“The poor child is probably asleep now and I am sure she counts herself lucky. She left the meeting shortly after you, my king. I assume she narrowly escaped the elder’s fate.” 

“I see.”

Ganondorf continued to ask the master healer questions about the incident and the elders’ health. Link left his side to examine their sleeping forms, immediately catching on to the heavy magical aura around each elder. The healer agreed that the source of the elders’ unnatural sleep was magical in nature, though claimed it was beyond her skill to determine the identity of the spell, nor break it. As he studied the placid, sleeping faces, Link wondered if fairy magic would help. If only he could bring them to the great fairy, but how would he transport _five_ unconscious elders? He could not teleport them all and the wasteland was much too dangerous to bring carts across…

“Since I was unable to detect any sickness, the elders will soon be returned to their rooms.” Healer Aba said as Link focused back in on the conversation. “I will assign one of my girls to each elder so that they may be kept comfortable and under watch. I will inform you of any changes in their condition, my King.”

“You have my thanks, Aba. The elders hold our collective wisdom, and it would be a shame to lose their valuable knowledge and insight. I fear our tribe would never recover.” The Gerudo King said in a solemn tone. “Come Link, let us leave Healer Aba to her duties.”

Link’s mind was buzzing with this new puzzle as they left the healer’s quarters and walked back through dimly lit halls towards the main hub of the fortress. The night was getting late and Link stifled a yawn as they walked in silence a few paces behind the guard. Somehow a day of talking and diplomacy was far more draining than a day running around Hyrule Field.

“What do you make of this new predicament, Link?” Ganondorf’s deep voice was quiet, softer than Link had ever heard him speak. Curious by the shift in tone, Link lifted his gaze from the sandstone floor to catch the side of the Gerudo’s face. His jaw was clenched, eyes hard and focused on the path straight ahead.

Link thought it was rather obvious. All evidence pointed towards Twinrova as the culprit and now the Gerudo witches were gone. The first steps were to figure out how to break the curse and to stop the elders before they could do more harm, though Ganondorf likely knew this. Link had a feeling that there was a hidden meaning behind the question, and he wasn’t sure how to answer. When Link didn’t reply, Ganondorf let out a weary sigh. They rounded a corner, entering the main hall of the fortress. In the late hours of the night, the large communal room was nearly empty, save for two guards and a young woman stirring the fire in the hearth. All three stopped to bow as their king moved past.

“When you said there may still be time, I thought perhaps my mothers could be brought to their senses.” The Gerudo King muttered, and Link’s steps faltered slightly as he looked at the man in surprise. “I knew they had plans of their own, though their disdain had been directed at Hyrule… or so I thought. But a direct assault on our people, on the council, their fellow elders… that cannot be easily pardoned.”

There was a hint of pain in Ganondorf’s eyes which Link did not expect. Link did not know the particulars around Gerudo King’s relationship with his mothers. Was he close with them? When Link confronted them before, they seemed to be blindly devoted to their son. Or at least to the power he had taken. The concept of parents was foreign to Link, but he could see Ganondorf was suddenly put in a tough position. As the king spoke, they stopped before two branching paths. Link recognized the one that led to his temporary room and a rare longing for sleep tugged his gaze away from the distraught Gerudo male momentarily.

“I would hope…” Ganondorf’s deep voice spoke softly as warm, strong fingers touched Link’s chin, guiding his face back towards his with unexpected gentleness. Link did not expect such a strangely intimate gesture nor the strange tension that rose between them and he returned the king’s intense gaze with eyes as wide as saucers. “a divine champion such as you would know what to do.”

His golden eyes, his closeness, and his gentle touch proved to be too much. Link flinched and stepped away quickly as his hand instinctively rested on his blade. As Link stared at the larger man with naked confusion, Ganondorf froze for a moment with his hand still outstretched before the man shook his head and lowered his arm. Link noticed the fingers which had held his face earlier were now balled into a fist. ~~~~

“It is quite late.” Ganondorf said curtly, turning away from Link to head down the opposite hall. The strange electricity that had built between them vanished as abruptly as it arrived. “We shall address this matter in the morning. Sleep well, Link.”

For a long moment, Link stared at the space Ganondorf previously occupied before the heaviness in his limbs reminded him of his need for sleep. Fortunately, drowsiness quickly pushed the strange incident to the back of his mind as Link practically collapsed on his bed, falling asleep in sand-covered clothes.

There was nothing like a new quest to get Link out of bed. Despite the residual fatigue, he was awake shortly after dawn, stretching and swinging his sword blissfully in front of the open window when Nabooru surprised him with a visit. He was overjoyed to see her, momentarily worried she had been taken by the twins again despite what healer Aba said the night before. However, she seemed less cheerful this morning judging by the bags under her eyes and the stressed lines of her mouth.

“Ganondorf has called a small meeting.” She told him from the open door and then when she noticed his expression, her mouth quirked up in an odd smile. “There will be breakfast.”

Link rolled his eyes at her attempt to convince him with promises of food. He would have gone with her anyway, though breakfast certainly improved matters.

Nabooru brought him to a small room in a part of the fortress he had never explored before. Ganondorf was already there, seated on a floor cushion with his arms crossed at the head of a small, low table, with a Gerudo seated at his left, who Link recognized to be Aveil; captain of the Gerudo army and Ganondorf’s third in command. Nabooru silently joined them, closing the door, and taking the cushion to her king’s right. True to her word, a light breakfast sat on the table.

As Link suspected, they were to discuss the twin witches and the elders’ curse. Ganondorf asked Nabooru to recall what had happened after he left to find Link, as Aveil studied the Hylian with suspicion in her sharp eyes. Link ignored her and busied himself with piling cold meats on a flatbread.

“I do not know what happened, my king.” Nabooru replied. “I left the room soon after you went to find Link and just when I stepped outside, the door slammed shut behind me. I tried to open it, but it had been sealed with magic and would not budge. From the other side, I heard angry voices and shouting and then there was a flash of magic and everything went quiet. Later, Iban helped me break the door down and we found the elders as they are now, cursed into a deep sleep. Koume and Kotake were missing.”

Ganondorf, Nabooru, and Aveil tossed theories around as to the possible nature of the curse and the whereabouts of the missing elders while Link listened in silence and tried to make sense of the situation. This had never happened before in any of the timelines...

“Feel like contributing, Link?” Ganondorf asked when their conversation had come to a standstill and Link hadn’t spoken in half an hour. He sighed and told them he did not have experience with this sort of magic. He had cured many temples of curses and monsters back in the day, but never people.

“But you must have some idea?” Nabooru pressed as Aveil gave him a disapproving look.

“Fairy magic…might work.” Link said after a beat. Nabooru’s eyes widened, sparkling with excitement as she told the others about the fairy fountain Link had shown her next to the Spirit Temple.

“But how would we transport five sleeping elders across the wasteland?” Ganondorf asked as he rubbed his temples. “That sounds like a logistical nightmare.”

Link shook his head. They didn’t have to bring them all across. “I don’t know if it will work. But I can take one of them to find out.”

In the conversation that ensued, the Gerudo discussed which elder Link should bring to the great fairy. Elder Atma was the oldest, thus the head of the council and most important, though elder Furosa was the youngest and most able to make the journey back to the fortress. Aveil also suggested elder Enyba for her good memory as the most likely to recall what had occurred behind those closed doors.

“It is decided then.” Ganondorf called, looking to Link. He had barely glanced at Link during this meeting. It was an odd thought, but Link wondered if their confusing interaction late in the night had anything to do with the strained look in his eyes. “Link, you will take elder Enyba to this magical fountain Nabooru speaks so highly of. Aveil, you will lead a small group of soldiers into the temple to find Koume and Kotake. Now that we have the silver gauntlets, this should not be any trouble-”

“No.” Link shook his head violently, cutting the king off with his sudden, strong dissent.

“Link, I hope you will enlighten me as to what bothers you with this plan.”

“It’s too dangerous.” Link explained. “Koume and Kotake have strong magic. They could…they could…”

He found his speech faltering as memories of hulking, mindless Iron Knuckles haunted him.

“Link,” Nabooru called to him gently, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Are you worried they will be cursed…like I was?”

Link nodded. He freed Nabooru easily enough, but an army of Iron Knuckles? He shuddered at the thought. The Gerudo seemed to give this serious consideration.

“Then we will prioritize reviving the elders first.” Ganondorf concluded. “I hope once revived, Enyba’s memory will offer clues as to how we should proceed.”

In short order, Nabooru brought Link to elder Enyba’s quarters while Ganondorf and Aveil remained, switching to a discussion on fortress defenses and preparations for the twin’s return or a Hylian violation of the recently signed peace treaty. A young Gerudo allowed them inside, introducing herself as the elder’s granddaughter and caretaker. Enyba laid in her bed with a serene expression across her wrinkled features. Enyba’s granddaughter, Enya, filled a waterskin for the elder and pushed a vial of health potion into Link’s hands as she rattled off a long list of instructions on how to keep her grandmother safe from the desert heat.

“I think he gets the idea, Enya.” Nabooru interjected, noting Link’s overwhelmed expression. “Link, Aveil will send two of her fastest runners to meet you at the fairy fountain. They will help ensure elder Enyba returns home safely.”

Link nodded and, after tying the additional water and provisions to his belts, scooped the small, frail elder into his arms. The elderly Gerudo weighed practically nothing.

“Thank you, Link.” Nabooru called after him as he played the spell which would transport them both to the Spirit Temple. “And good luck.”

When he arrived at the temple, Link paused to scan the cavernous vestibule for any sign of the twins. The temple was normally silent, though there was an emptiness to its air which he had never noticed before. The archway that led off to the inner sanctum was open, the block still lodged in the floor. Link took that as evidence enough that the twins were absent, though he supposed he could be wrong.

The cool interior of the fair fountain was a welcome reprieve from the rapidly heating air outside. Gently, Link laid the Gerudo elder out before the Great Fairy’s pool before stepping back onto the Triforce sigil and summoning the ancient being with Zelda’s Lullaby. Soon, the Great Fairy hovered above him, gazing down on Link and the unconscious elder at the edge of the pool.

“Welcome, Hero.” The Great Fairy cooed. “You have brought another with you, I see.”

She bent over the spelled Gerudo elder, hands and arms decorated in vines hovered over her frail, bent form. “Terrible magic has befallen her.”

“Can you cure her?”

“Perhaps…” The Great Fairy trailed off, raising her inhuman gaze, peering into Link. He always got the impression she was staring at something more when she looked at him. It made him uncomfortable. “Though I require rupees to enhance my power…”

Link dislodged a bag from his belt and tossed it on to the tile. Blue, red, and green gems glimmered in the fairy’s light. “900 rupees. It is all I have.”

The Great Fairy took the bag, dwarfing it in her colossal hand. “You have a generous heart, Hero. 500 rupees will be sufficient.”

The immortal being took a portion of the offered rupees and Link watched, awestruck, as the gems were absorbed into her hands. Glowing with renewed power, the Great Fairy returned to the body of the sleeping elder, laying her glowing hands upon her. The Great Fairy began to hum an unfamiliar tune and the tiny glowing fairies around her joined in a high-pitched frenzy, fluttering around the great one’s hands as the strange song built, rising, and rising as the fairies spiraled upwards, vanishing high above the elder as the great fairy finished her magical song.

The magical glow faded, and the Great Fairy pulled back, vanishing into the pool with a flourish. At the edge of the pool, elder Enyba began to stir and Link rushed to her side.

“What a strange place…” The elder’s cracked voice muttered. Link was overjoyed, beside himself with relief as he kneeled beside the elder and offered his hand.

“Oh, it is the young voe from the trial!” Enyba said as she regarded Link. Fortunately, her amber eyes were kind even as she studied Link and the fountain with confusion. “How did I end up here? We were in the council chamber last I remember…”

Link watched a series of emotions cross the elder’s face. Confusion gave way to surprise and then the elder’s mouth turned down, wrinkles creasing into a frown. “I remember…elders Koume and Kotake. They…they did something.”

“They cursed you. You have been unconscious for a full day.” Link told her as he helped the elder up to sit and offered her water. “I brought you to a Great Fairy and she broke the spell.”

“Ah, so that’s what all their gibberish yelling was about.” The elder muttered, nodding her gray head. “They were acting strange, I recall.”

A struggle crossed the elder’s face as she tried to recall more, though Link shook his head. “Aveil is coming to take you back to the fortress. Ganondorf will want to hear what you can remember.”

Link held out his hand and the elder took it. Her brown hands were rough and wrinkled, dry. He helped her to her feet and allowed her to use his arm as a support as they left the fountain.

“You are a kind young voe.” Elder Enyba said as they walked. “I thought I sensed something special about you.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elder Enyba tells all.

It would be obvious to say the Gerudo were a matriarchal people, and as such they cherished their elders, revering them higher than even their king. When Elder Enyba was brought through the wasteland gates, it seemed the whole fortress flocked around Aveil’s party with offerings of water, fry bread, spirits; anything to help the elder. She was seen as a grandmother to the entire tribe in a way. Link wasn’t fluent in Gerudo, but he picked up enough of their culture over the years to understand there were at least five different words for sister and the words for elder and grandmother sounded remarkably similar when he heard them spoken.

Elder Enyba was swiftly escorted to her rooms. Crossing the Haunted Wasteland is a taxing endeavor, even when done swiftly by highly trained soldiers and the elderly Gerudo woman needed rest and water. To Link’s dismay, another meeting was to be held in the evening once the elder was recovered, though despite his disdain for meetings he was curious to hear what more she could remember.

While the elder rested in her rooms, Link visited the shooting grounds to keep his archery skills sharp. The horse he borrowed was no substitute for Epona, but she was almost as spirited, nearly throwing Link from the saddle until he played Epona’s Song to calm her. He suspected the Gerudo who lent him the horse did so as a practical joke, noting how she and the other stable hands kept away from the mare’s hind legs and how her eyes glinted mischievously when he was nearly thrown. But a rowdy horse was a welcome distraction from thoughts of Ganondorf and the twins, and Link enjoyed the feeling of satisfaction at the Gerudo’s reaction when he tamed her wild steed with a simple song and an apple.

It took him no time at all to shatter the shooting ground all-time record. As he expertly maneuvered his mount around the rings, nailing the bullseye of target after target, a small crowd of curious Gerudo had gathered, watching, even cheering when he set a new record and won the prize quiver, which the woman at the counter handed off reluctantly.

Though his break was short-lived. A Gerudo guard disrupted his peace when she came to collect him for yet another meeting. With a heavy sigh, Link handed the subdued mare off to the nonplussed Gerudo at the stables and followed her.

This time, Ganondorf, Link, Nabooru, and Aveil met on colorful, low seats in Elder Enyba’s living quarters. The elder joined them with a serene smile, looking comfortable and happy after her rest. Her granddaughter offered them tea as the elder sat and they began to discuss the heavy topic of the missing elders and the rest of the sleeping council.

“After our King left to fetch the Hylian boy, Koume and Kotake voiced their disapproval of the council’s decision.” Enyba explained. “It was a fair vote, though they claimed we were traitors to allow a Hylian voe to walk free among our people and that this particular voe would be our undoing as a divine agent for the royal crown. They would not listen to the wisdom of the council. That is when the Exalted Nabooru left to find you, Lord Ganondorf.”

Nabooru nodded. “I went to the balcony to find you, my king, though you and Link had already gone. Then I returned to the council chambers and found them sealed from the inside.”

“Yes… I recall the twin’s ravings becoming stranger after Nabooru left. They were not talking sense, telling the council to seek power elsewhere. They said they found a source of power which would bring the Gerudo dominion over Hyrule and when Furosa and I explained that dominion was never our people’s intention, they began yelling curses, saying that…if our king would not seek this power, then they would do so on their own. And then they vanished in a display of magic we have never seen before. Next thing I knew, I was in a fairy fountain with this kind, young voe! I had not believed in such miracles since I was a little vai.”

Their small, makeshift council was quiet as the elder’s testimony sank in. The king spoke first. “Sarqso, grandmother. Your recollection was highly informative. Link, you said the Spirit Temple appeared unoccupied this morning?”

Link nodded. “The path into the temple is open.”

Ganondorf scratched at the orange stubble on his chin. “It would seem unlikely for Koume and Kotake to have their defenses down.”

“It could be a trap, my lord.” Aveil offered.

“Unlikely. My mothers are crafty, though they would never risk strangers invading the temple if they were planning something there.”

The Gerudo King’s brow creased, and he continued to scratch at his chin, brows furrowing as he stared at the wall above Link’s head. “My mothers have been referring to this mysterious power for many years, though neglected to mention it by name until recently. They seek the Triforce and they believe one can access it from the Temple of Hylia with the right tools.”

As he said _tools_ , Ganondorf’s heavy gaze dropped to Link. He seemed expectant, as if assuming Link would voluntarily divulge what he knew. Link remained silent. At the mention of the Triforce, Aveil gasped and the elder stared at Ganondorf with renewed interest.

“The relic of the Triad…” Enyba muttered. “That is a great power indeed but seeking such a thing is blasphemous... and dangerous”

“My king, did Koume and Kotake say what the right tools were?” Nabooru asked. “Do they know how to obtain it?”

“Yes.” Ganondorf nodded to Link. “And Link here knows even more than I do on the subject.”

Link clenched his jaw, returning the male Gerudo’s smirk with a livid glare. To his dismay, all eyes in the room turned their attention to him. Expectant. Waiting to hear what he had to say. He hated that.

“Well, I think we can safely assume Koume and Kotake are not hiding out in the Spirit Temple anymore and have gone to Hyrule to find a way into the sacred realm.” Nabooru chimed in. “We can also assume they know where the keys are and that Hyrule, and possibly all lands, are in grave danger if they succeed. Someone will need to stop them.”

Link nodded and bit back a sigh. He would be the one to go, naturally. Who else could?

“Yes, considering he is a champion of the Goddesses, Link is the natural choice.” Ganondorf said to Link’s complete lack of surprise. But there was a mischievous gleam in Nabooru’s warm eyes that gave him pause and she wouldn’t stop looking between Link and the Gerudo King.

“This is a large task for one voe, though I do not doubt he is capable. Yet Link is not the only one who holds knowledge of these matters.” Nabooru said. At her side, the elder nodded slowly.

“In fact, out of everyone here, our king is most familiar with elders Koume and Kotake and would be able to guess at their movements better than our Hylian friend.” Elder Enyba. “My king, you must accompany the Hylian on his quest.”

Link’s eyes widened in disbelief and Ganondorf seemed equally taken aback. He never needed help before and he certainly did not need it now, especially from the stubborn, confusing King of the Gerudo. Link opened his mouth to protest, but Ganondorf was already doing so.

“With the highest respect for your wisdom, elder, I cannot join the Hylian on his mission. I am needed here.”

“And yet you had no issues with abandoning your people the first time this happened.” Nabooru cut in. Aveil and the elder were horribly confused, though Link and Ganondorf knew what she meant.

“Our people need-”

“Aveil and I can handle tribal matters while you are away.” At her side, the third in command agreed.

“The elders’ curse-”

“We will take care of them.” Nabooru countered. “Whether our healers find cure, or we have to take each elder to the fairy fountain, we will find a way. Koume and Kotake are a grave threat and must be delt with swiftly. My king, you and Link are the only ones who can take on this task.”

Link glared at Ganondorf and Ganondorf glowered back, while Nabooru smiled between them.

“I think you two will make quite the team.” She said mirthfully. Link groaned.  
  


________________

Due to the urgency of their task, Link and Ganondorf decided to leave at the first opportunity, though the Gerudo King had business of his own to take care of for the rest of the evening, meaning they would prepare for their journey the following morning and depart that day. Unused to the idea of a traveling companion, Link had half a mind to leave without the man at first light, though he knew that would not go over well. Still, he loathed the idea of being slowed down, especially when tasked with something so urgent.

The day passed uneventfully with Link taking time to explore the fortress while Nabooru, Aveil and Ganondorf were tied up in meetings and planning an investigation of the Spirit Temple, which would begin after they departed.

As evening past into night, Link’s mind was occupied with their impending task. Find the twins. They could be anywhere in Hyrule, though much like Ganondorf had been the first time, Link knew they would leave a trail of destruction in their wake. They would be easy to track but heading them off before more harm could be done would be difficult, especially since they seemed to possess warping magic of their own.

Link knew, or at least he hoped, his younger double had gathered all three stones and hid them in the Lost Woods, and he kept this information secret on purpose. It was better if the whereabouts of the sacred stones was kept hidden from everyone, even allies. He had a distinct feeling that another power-hungry entity would seek the Triforce someday and besides Ganondorf was acting trustworthy now, but there was always the possibility that might change. He could never be too careful.

No one else knew the stones were missing from their traditional keepers. So, Link could safely assume Twinrova would look for them in the Deku Tree, Death Mountain, and Zora’s Domain. And the Shadow Temple still poisoned the land with its evil. Another thing to address, though he dreaded the thought of Ganondorf accompanying him in the temple in addition to their present task.

Link sighed heavily, looking out onto the black desert under the vast, clear night sky, He hoped no more harm would be done to the lands of Hyrule if he could help it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link and Ganondorf go on a quest to fetch Ganon's senile mothers and get them back to the nursing home.
> 
> Coming soon: Link and Ganondorf arguing like an old married couple as they attempt to work together.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf’s gaydar is never wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with another update so soon?! Tbh I had most of this chapter written already.
> 
> Enjoy! ;)

Link and Ganondorf departed mid-morning the next day, as the king had to finish crucial tribal business early on in the morning. Link had been less than pleased as he had gathered his meager possessions together and had talked the Gerudo at the stables into letting him borrow the horse he had tamed the day before. He had been ready to go at first light, though their departure finally arrived after much anxious waiting and the two rode off into the rapidly heating canyon.

By the time the hooves of Link and Ganondorf’s mounts left the hard red rock of Gerudo Canyon, the sun was beginning to set behind them. Long shadows warned them of the approaching dark as they rode through scrublands towards Hyrule Field. Just as the final rays of light sank below the desert horizon, stalfos began to emerge from the soft, dry earth at the roadside. Behind them, the baleful wailing of the skeletal monsters filled the night air, making the hairs on the king’s neck stand on end.

Link almost laughed at the look of unease on Ganondorf’s face as he warily watched the stalfos stagger after them. The things were harmless, especially after the terrifying monsters he had faced in the future. Ganondorf even suggested bedding down for the night; something Link would never have considered on his own. They still had a lot of ground to cover before they reached their first planned destination, Kakariko Village, which was a full two day’s ride from the fortress.

But the Gerudo would not let the matter rest. Sighing in defeat, Link suggested they make camp up ahead, on a grassy knoll at the beginning of Hyrule Field, which would offer them high ground to fend off the harmless little monsters. 

“I am not opposed to making camp, though why go to the trouble when there’s a perfectly good ranch nearby?”

Ganondorf’s mention of Lon Lon Ranch made Link’s hands momentarily convulse on the reigns, causing his mount to whiny in surprise. Ganondorf glanced back towards him with a furrowed brow. 

“What is the matter, Link? My soldiers have rested at this ranch many times. The mother of the owner’s wife was Gerudo, making his daughter a quarter. He has always welcomed my people, even during times of war.”

Link wasn’t worried about that, though explaining his hesitation to Ganondorf would be far too complicated. With effort, he swallowed those bitter memories and abandoned the argument. As they crested the first hill, the lights of the tiny ranch glimmered in the near-distance and Link’s heart pounded with anticipation.

________________

The little Hylian was an odd man even on a good day, though tonight he was acting especially strange.

Ganondorf noticed Link’s white-knuckled grip on his reigns as they rode up the path towards Talon’s house and how the man’s eyes would look literally _everywhere_ except the ranch owner’s face when they called on his doorstep. He wouldn’t even raise his gaze when Ganondorf introduced him and when he shook Talon’s hand, the strain behind his eyes was obvious.

Many long, war-torn years have passed since he last took shelter here, though Talon recognized the Gerudo King straight away. It would be hard not to, he supposed. He was rather… distinctive. The friendly man looked much the same, only slightly wider around the middle. His red cheeks, full beard, and friendly eyes; easily taken advantage of by swindlers, if Ganondorf remembered correctly. Speaking of, he wondered if that shifty bastard, Ingo, was still lurking around.

“With no disrespect, my King, it is curious to see a Hylian and the Gerudo King traveling together.” Talon said after they stated their business, and the introductions were past. “I haven’t seen such a thing since…well dear me, I suppose never.”

“Link is a diplomat.” Ganondorf lied smoothly. “I suppose word has not yet spread to the outskirts, but a deal was struck between my tribe and Hyrule some weeks ago. King Daphnes sent one of his court to my territory to finalize some documents and I am traveling back with him to trade…um…peace offerings.”

“That is great news, my lord. Great news!” The big man was overjoyed, buying the Gerudo’s lie hook, line, and sinker. He was all too trusting, Ganondorf thought.

“Link was it?” Talon asked, peering at Link from under bushy eyebrows. “What a funny coincidence. I never thought that name to be popular, though less than two weeks ago we housed a young lad by that very name. He was a quiet one like yerself. Looked pretty similar too. Is he your kin? Perhaps it is a family name.”

Link cleared his tight throat. “No relation.” He managed to say in a strangled voice. Talon fortunately shrugged it off as a coincidence and invited them inside for supper. When the rancher’s back turned, Ganondorf shot Link a questioning glare as they entered the cozy ranch house.

The living area looked the same as it had when Ganondorf was last here, and he could tell Link recognized it too by the way his eyes roamed the place. Afterall, Talon did mention seeing a young boy named Link. It was highly likely he saw Link’s younger double. More questions surfaced in the Gerudo’s mind. He would interrogate Link about this later…

“You men arrived just in time for supper. My dear Malon made her famous stew again.” Talon chatted at them as he fetched a pair of bowls from the hutch and ladled heathy portions of stew from a kettle over the hearth. Even at this late of an hour, the man’s humble hospitality showed no bounds.

“How is your daughter?” Ganondorf asked, helping himself to a seat at the head of the small kitchen table. The handcrafted wooden chair creaked ominously under his large frame. “She must be nearly a woman now.”

“Ah, yes, she is growing up fast. Sometimes I think too fast, though I suppose that is how it goes.” Talon said with a sigh as he set two steaming bowls in front of his guests and sank into a seat. It was not his normal chair. Ganondorf had taken that one, though he supposed the man _was_ royalty. “Malon, my dear, come down here! We have company!”

Moments later, a small red-headed girl of around twelve years came bounding down the wooden stairs, practically bursting with energy as she hoped down the stairs and ran to her father’s side.

“Oh! Good evening, mister Ganondorf!” The girl chimed and Link almost dropped his spoon.

“Malon, Lord Ganondorf is a King. It is polite to address him by a title.” The rancher instructed, red in the face with embarrassment at his daughter’s bold antics.

“It is quite alright, Talon.” Ganondorf replied in his rumbling voice. “Good evening, Malon. I swear you look more like your mother every time I see you.”

It seemed Ganondorf’s greeting passed through one of the girl’s ears and out the other, as her attention was fixed on Link, who gave up on eating his stew, having suddenly lost his typically robust appetite.

“Where’s your fairy?” The girl asked him suddenly. Talon stared mortified at his daughter, while Ganondorf looked at Link curiously. The blonde Hylian stared straight ahead, frozen and pale in the face.

“Malon, dear, what are you-?”

“You look just like a boy I played with earlier, except he had a fairy, and you don’t.” Malon continued and her father was beside himself with embarrassment.

“I…lost mine.”

Link’s rough, quiet voice startled the other men into silence, but Malon’s interest was piqued. “Really?! You had one just like Link’s? Where did she go?”

“I…I don’t know.”

“Malon, he is just teasing you. I don’t know where you got this fairy stuff, but that boy didn’t have a fairy either.”

“But he _did_ , father! Her name was Navi and we played together!”

It may have been a trick of the light, but Ganondorf could have sworn Link was close to _tears_. It seemed rather unlike the man, who he had understood to be remarkably stoic. Ganondorf was perplexed by the whole scene and continued to silently brood over the strange turn of events as Talon, red-faced and embarrassed, ushered his daughter back up the stairs to bed.

“Gentlemen, I sincerely apologize.” Talon said as he made his way back to the table, wiping a hand over his weary face. “Normally she is much better behaved. I promise to have a stern talk with her in the morning.”

“Do not worry yourself, Talon. Children say the strangest things.” Ganondorf waved a dismissive brown hand. “I would know. I have several daughters of my own.”

“Thank you, Lord Ganondorf.” Talon said, though the strain was not entirely gone from his heavy brow. “I will have Ingo prepare the guest room. Unfortunately, we only have the one, though there is a large bed and plenty of floor space. I would hate to offer such meager accommodations to the Gerudian king and a member of the royal court, but it is the best we can offer.”

“I have had far worse during my travels, and I can assume Link has settled for less as well.” Ganondorf sided Link a heavy glance.

“I can sleep in the stables.” Link offered without hesitation. The strange look of discomfort was still there, even if Link had crammed it down, trapped under the surface. Ganondorf saw through the blonde’s desperate facade.

“Nonsense. I will have my hired hand, Ingo, bring in his mattress at the very least. He will not object to sleeping in the hay for one night in service of the crown.”

Talon’s overzealous hospitality won out with no room for argument. After offering his guests a glass of Hylian apple brandy (made by Talon himself from his own apples, as he proudly pointed out), Talon left to fetch his trusty hand from the stables. Sitting by the fire with a drink in hand, Ganondorf managed to look as regal as ever despite the homey, rustic atmosphere. He stared unwaveringly at Link, who remained at the table, staring into his own glass with a forlorn look.

“You have a history with this place, don’t you?” Ganondorf broke through the thick silence, not beating around the bush in the slightest. Link didn’t look up. “Despite the obvious. And what was all that talk about a fairy?”

Link’s silence only fed the Gerudo King’s irritation. “Answer me, Link. I’m tired of your stubborn games.”

Link shook his sandy, blonde head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I am getting that.” Ganondorf grumbled. He took a sip of his drink to take the edge off his frustration. It didn’t work, so he swallowed his anger and tried a different tactic. “Look. The longer you bottle up the past, the more it eats away at you.”

The blonde shrugged and Ganondorf suppressed a strong urge to punch him. “You are impossible. Forget it then.”

Just then, Talon stepped through the front door with a disgruntled Ingo in tow, who was bowed under the weight of a lumpy futon. The friendly rancher caught on to the thick tension in the air, though likely assuming all the wrong things as his eyes shifted between his two guests. Fortunately, he left to help Ingo set up their room for the night.

Talon wished them a good night, mentioning they served breakfast early and that the men were more than welcome to help themselves before setting off. From his seat by the fire, Ganondorf’s eyes followed the tired rancher as he disappeared up the stairs. He downed the rest of his drink with a frustrated huff and stood abruptly. Link’s glass was still mostly full.

“Are you going to finish that?” He asked the smaller man, who eyed him blankly and shook his head. Ganondorf shrugged and downed Link’s portion, feeling relieved as he felt the pleasant buzz of alcohol. “I’m going to bed. Feel free to join me when you stop feeling sorry for yourself.”

Contrary to his word, Ganondorf did not sleep. Instead, he sat upon the creaky guest bed, lost in thought. It was some time before the bedroom door creaked open and Link stepped through, looking uncomfortable though slightly calmed by the sight of the extra mat on the floor. The blonde shut the door softly and roamed around the room in a thick, tense silence, turning his back to Ganondorf as he set down his gear and stripped out of his road-worn tunic. When the stubborn man finally faced him, he seemed to be wrestling with some internal struggle. Ganondorf told himself he wasn’t interested in finding out what that was.

“You were right…I do have a history with this place.” Link spoke quietly, looking out the small, dark window instead of at Ganondorf’s face. After being momentarily stunned at the _final_ admission that something was eating at the man, Ganondorf cracked a self-satisfied smirk.

“I’m always right. I thought you would have known that by now.” Link huffed and rolled his eyes, though Ganondorf caught the barest hint of a smile ghosting his lips.

“I first visited this place when everything started. I knew they would remember that, but...” Words seemed to fail him, as they often did. Ganondorf waited patiently for the reticent man to gather his thoughts properly. He never expected Link to open up to him and was overwhelmingly curious about the strange Hylian’s past, curious enough even to wait through Link’s stumbling. “After everything was over, I couldn’t stay in the forest, so I came here.”

“After you killed me in the future, you mean?” Ganondorf didn’t mean to sound so salty, though he still wasn’t quite over that. Link shot him a look but fortunately continued on with his story.

“Talon took me in, and I lived here for a few years until I…grew up…physically. Malon grew up as well. We became close friends as children, but Talon always wanted us to be more than that. When she was of marriageable age, he…he gave me his blessing to marry his daughter.”

Ganondorf barely contained his surprised laughter at the uncomfortable look on Link’s face. That Talon would see Link as a fit match for his daughter was hardly a surprise and considering what Ganondorf understood of Hylian customs, such a marriage would have been socially and economically beneficial for both Link and the rancher. “That doesn’t sound so bad. Is Malon your wife then, back in your time? Is that why you were behaving so strangely?”

Link shifted his feet. “No. I…couldn’t accept.”

Ganondorf paused. That was certainly not the answer he expected. “By Din, why not? I know how you Hylians are with marriage and it sounds like that would have been a very advantageous partnership.”

If Link looked uncomfortable before, he looked absolutely wretched now, gaze down at the floor, red to the tips of his pointed ears, a hand rubbing at the back of his neck. Ganondorf pondered this for a moment before understanding dawned and he cracked a savage grin.

“Perhaps you could not accept because you have… _other_ preferences.” He threw the guess out there. Either the Hylian would get indigent and offended at the blasphemous suggestion or he would be right. He had to know either way.

But instead of being offended, Link sighed heavily and remained silent, face still beat red and refusing to meet Ganondorf’s eyes. Ganondorf let out a low chuckle. To think one who carried the blessings of the Goddesses harbored such a secret that would instantly brand him a scandalous criminal in the eyes of Hylian law. Now _this_ was a juicy bit of gossip.

“It seems I am right again.” Ganondorf mused aloud. In truth, he was glad. After Link deflected his prior advance, he assumed he had read the Hylian wrong. But he was always good at reading people. Even stubborn, repressed people. “How did Talon react to this news, I wonder?”

“I didn’t tell them.” Link’s voice was barely above a whisper. “I just…left. I haven’t been back here in years.”

“Probably a wise choice.” Ganondorf reasoned. “That sort of thing is against the law in Hyrule isn’t it? Several years in jail and maybe even exile if I remember correctly.”

“Please…don’t…don’t tell anyone.” Did Ganondorf detect a slight hint of desperation in Link’s quiet voice? He would have laughed at the ridiculousness of the idea. As if he would do such a thing.

“Your secret is safe with me.” Ganondorf said. He couldn’t stop himself from grinning. “Why would I tell the Hylian authorities when they consider me to be lower than dirt? And besides, out of anyone to tell these secrets to, why not confide in the one person you are bound to by prophecy?”

At those words, Link raised his head to meet Ganondorf’s eyes. He was shocked at the warmth of the Gerudo’s gaze, alongside the amusement that glittered in his golden eyes.

“I...” Words stuttered and died on Link’s tongue. “ It is not...something I tell people. It is a crime after all.”

Ganondorf snorted at that. “It shouldn’t be. Hylian religion is far too prudish. The Gerudo are much more liberal with such things. And you are assuming I do not have the same preferences myself.”

Link gawked at the Gerudo and Ganondorf laughed loudly at his dumbfounded expression. “B-but you have _daughters_!”

Ganondorf shrugged. In Link’s opinion, he was being far too cavalier. “As the sole male of my tribe, it is my duty to help foster the next generation. Of course, it is the woman’s choice and many also seek mates in Hyrule. I have sought company with Hylian mates on several occasions as well. Turns out there are more Hylian men who prefer male companionship than you might think.”

Link’s expression was still bashful but not as surprised as Ganondorf would have guessed. Curious. “I am sure you lacked confidants in the past...” He mused out loud. “Anyway, I am glad to know and believe me when I say I do not think less of you, Link.”

The Hylian cleared his throat and looked to the mat on the floor. “It is late.”

“Yes, it is.”

Still visibly red in the ears, Link turned from him and laid down on the small, lumpy futon without further comment. Shaking his head, Ganondorf pinched out the candles and laid down on the bed.

“Good night, Link.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming soon: Ganondorf will NOT STOP grilling Link about his past from here on out, much to the Hylian's embarrassment and annoyance.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ladies throw a rager while the man’s out of the house. Link and Ganondorf have some bonding time on the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we learn that Ganondorf is not a morning person. It's just a silly head canon that I have *shrugs*

“Iban! Pass the wine!”

Female voices, shouting and laughing, rang out through the desert night. Most of the tribe was clustered around a giant bon fire outside the fortress. Soldiers tapped into giant barrels of Hylian wine and Gerudian spirits, distributing earthen cups of alcohol to waiting hands as women beat drums and danced around the blazing fire.

Nabooru relaxed with a glass of red wine in hand, surveying the flushed, happy faces of her people. Generally speaking, their King was known to be stringent with supplies, and while massive gatherings like this were not uncommon, their supply of food and drink was often under careful watch in case of famine or trade complications, such as they experienced during the war. Yet, war with Hyrule was paused for the foreseeable future and the girls deserved to let loose every so often.

It was good to get their king out of town every once in a while, Nabooru thought as she sipped her drink. Both for him and for their people. She wondered how the boys were getting along…

The sun had not yet risen when Link awoke the next morning. He was naturally an early riser, especially when there was a mission to complete, and so he wasted no time in getting out of bed, massaging the knots in his neck caused by the lumpy futon as he quietly gathered his gear in the dark. In the gloom, Ganondorf’s shape was a massive lump on the bed. Link’s gaze wandered over the giant man’s sleeping form, noting the perceptible rise and fall of the man’s bare chest and the tangled mess of blankets strewn haphazardly across the bed before he forced his eyes away. Link rolled his tight shoulders and left the bedroom, not bothering to wake the Gerudo out of his loud snoring.

In the simple living room, Talon and his daughter were already awake. The ranch owner was seated at the table, engrossed in a letter or some other document while Malon bustled around the small kitchenette, cooking breakfast. Link remembered from his childhood that she would often look after her father, taking on responsibilities such as cooking and cleaning from a young age. When he was younger, he didn’t think much of it but now the sight of the young girl humming a happy little tune to herself as she stood on the tips of her toes to stir the simmering pot of porridge gave him pause.

“Ah, good morning, Sir Link!” Talon called out from his seat and Link automatically cringed at the use of title. He temporarily forgot how Ganondorf had introduced him. A diplomat for the court. The idea was ridiculous enough to be funny and Link had a hunch that the over-sized Gerudo got a laugh out of it behind his back.

Link stood in the middle of the room for a moment too long, unsure of what to do. Memories of mornings just like this one surfaced from his second round of childhood. Malon, Talon, and himself awake before dawn, making breakfast and eating together before starting on barn chores. The five years he spent at Lon Lon Ranch were certainly the most predictable and stable years of his life. He missed the routine of it at times, though somehow Zelda’s offered post on the Royal Guard did not satisfy that yearning for regularity.

Out of habit, Link wandered over to the hutch and fetched four bowls, and then grabbed a fifth as an afterthought, remembering with a stab of wistfulness that he was a visitor this time, a _stranger_ , and that Ganondorf would need one (whenever _his highness_ decided to wake up…). Talon gave him a strange look from overtop the papers in his hands, watching as he automatically opened the cutlery drawer and fetched silverware.

“Oh, no need to trouble yourself with all that!” Talon hastily set aside his work and rushed to take the dishware from Link’s hands. “You sirs are our guests after all.”

Link opened his mouth to apologize, but the man waved his hand dismissively as he set the bowls and spoons out on the table. With a sigh, he let it go.

The sun was up, and the dishes were washed by the time Ganondorf emerged from the guest room. Ganondorf’s porridge laid cold and congealed on the table and Link was sitting cross-legged by the hearth, sharpening his blade as he waited for the Gerudo King. He had offered to help with the morning chores, but Talon insisted he “make himself comfortable”, much to Link’s dismay.

Ganondorf sided a glance at the cold oats, poked at the hardened mush, and grimaced. Link snorted audibly. “That’s what you get for sleeping in.”

Unamused, Ganondorf scowled at him, neglecting to say a word until he had downed the cold mug of black coffee on the table. The congealed oats remained untouched as they set about preparing for the day’s ride to Kakariko.

The two men quickly packed their saddle bags and were soon riding out onto Hyrule Field with Talon and his daughter wishing them an enthusiastic farewell from the ranch gates. It was a crisp spring morning and as they followed the main road, Link relished the fresh, biting chill in the air, the tittering sounds of birds and the insects buzzing through the tall grass. It was almost peaceful enough for him to forget his unlikely traveling companion. Almost.

Ganondorf shattered Link’s peace as he maneuvered his horse to ride alongside him. “So, Link.” He began smoothly, golden eyes glittering with mirth. “You grew up in those woods, yes?”

Link followed Ganondorf’s gesturing hand to the dark wall of trees in the distance. He didn’t understand why the man was asking him this. He already knew and the question felt like bait, but Link gave a curt nod anyway.

“Raised by the forest spirits, you said. Now _that_ had to be an interesting upbringing.”

“Not really.”

The magic of the Great Deku Tree kept the Kokiri forest eternally unchanged, peaceful. He had small adventures as a young child, romping through the Lost Woods with the forest children. Learning the name of every tree, every fern, every buzzing insect. Playing in the crystal-clear streams with Saria. But those small memories felt so distant, insignificant compared to the horrors he faced when he left the protection of the woods.

“During last night’s…enlightening conversation… you neglected to answer my question about the fairy Malon mentioned. I have to admit, it provids an entertaining mental image.”

Link’s pain over the sore subject quickly turned to anger. “Why are you asking me these things?” He spit the question out through clenched teeth, in a biting tone which surprised him for its vehemence. Even Ganondorf seemed taken aback, a flash of surprise crossing his sharp features before falling into a glower.

“I am simply making conversation, Link.” The man responded firmly. In the wake of Link’s silence, he rolled his gold eyes. “You know, two people speaking casually, exchanging banter. It’s something people usually do to learn about one another on long, dull journeys across the country.”

Link glared at Ganondorf from across the path, hands tightening on the reigns as the idea of sprinting ahead and leaving the Gerudo in the dust became appealing. “You don’t have to be such an ass.”

“And you don’t have to be so guarded. I’m simply trying to get to know you, Link.” 

Ganondorf’s tone softened almost imperceptibly as that last phrase left his lips and suddenly Link felt overwhelmed for a completely different reason. He tore his gaze away from the Gerudo and yet could still feel the man’s eyes on the side of his face. Unfortunately, his gaze fell on that impenetrable dark line of forest and Link swallowed the lump in his throat. There was nothing else to focus his attention on it seemed. Caught between the ghosts of his past and this young version of the man he had defeated lifetimes ago. This strange version of him who wanted to _get to know him_ of all things. It was confusing, and Link was not used to people wanting to hear what he had to say.

“All the Kokiri had fairies. I believed myself to be one of them...but...” Link spoke quietly, blue eyes pinned on the forest to the east as they took the road to Kakariko at an easy pace. “Navi was given to me later… when the Deku Tree summoned me.”

“Navi. Was that your fairy’s name?” Somehow Ganondorf’s tone was not amused or mocking. He was being…genuine.

Link nodded. He felt Ganondorf’s eyes on the side of his face, studying him, taking note of the deep sorrow plaguing his blue eyes.

“I’m guessing something happened to it. Perhaps it died? Seems to be a touchy topic for you.”

“ _She._ ” Link corrected sharply before taking a breath. “She was with me for all of it, but one day after it was all over, she just…left. I never found her again.”

Ganondorf was perceptive enough to decode Link’s vague wording. Giving the stubborn Hylian a long, penetrating look, he saw enough anguish in Link’s expression to give him pause. “Hm. Apologies for stirring up bad memories.”

“Seems like you did it on purpose.” Link retorted.

“Perhaps,” Ganondorf admitted with a shrug. “You can ask me questions too you know. Conversations are supposed to be two sided.”

Link ignored the sarcastic quip. He had half a mind to remain silent just to spite the man, though now that Ganondorf mentioned it, he was curious…

“Must have been interesting growing up around only women.” Link said after a beat, reflecting Ganondorf’s original remark back at him. Beside him the Gerudo chuckled softly.

“Not really.”

Forgetting himself, Link gave a small, amused snort and they glanced at each other briefly before returning their gazes to the dirt path ahead. The two men lapsed into silence, this one holding noticeably less tension than before.

They reached the stair cut into the mountainside, leading to Kakariko Village, just as the sun was threatening to set behind them. With the stairs being too narrow and steep to ride, they dismounted and led the horses up the moss encrusted steps on foot. As they ascended, Link’s stomach twisted in knots. He knew the crimes Ganondorf had committed to obtain the stones before, but what sort of damage would the twins do in his stead?

Did they believe the Gorons when they claimed to not have the stone? Did Darunia actually give the stone to his younger self? He was riding on a lot of trust and uncertainty. It made him uneasy and he was prepared to scramble up Death Mountain in the dark in order to find out sooner, but Ganondorf would not hear of it, insisting that mountain roads were dangerous at night and promising to rise earlier in the morning to get a head start.

Over the crest of the stair, Kakariko Village came into view, its signature windmill spinning gently, casting a long shadow over the town in the fading light. The sounds of cuckoos clucking, sights of Sheika and Hylians moving about, the smell of tilled soil and freshly sawed lumber. An idyllic image of peace and progress, if it were not for the darkness hiding under the well…

At his side, Ganondorf caught on to the far-away look in Link’s eyes, fixed ahead on the windmill’s shadow. The corners of his mouth tilted up in a smirk. “Let me guess, you have a history with this place too.”

Link nodded much easier this time. A history, yes. Mostly a positive one…except for the well.

“Any noteworthy stories about this one?”

Link shrugged. After he purged the well’s evil a second time, he did not return here until he was nearly a man. He stayed with Impa on and off for a time. She trained him in the ways of stealth and Sheika fighting techniques. He made a few superficial acquaintances in the village, though they were much younger in this time and would not know him. He certainly got along better with the Sheika than with other Hylians…

“Hm. I cannot say I have spent much time here. It is a rather new village, yes? In your time, I am sure it has changed much.”

Link shrugged again. “Not too much.”

As they led their tired mounts through the village, Sheika and Hylians stopped their activities and stared, more at Ganondorf than at Link for the man’s large size and distinctive features tended to pull focus.

“You would think these peasants have never seen a Gerudo before.” Ganondorf grumbled, his anger brewing under the stares of the townsfolk. He didn’t mind attention as long as it was on his terms. People openly staring, however, became insufferable rather quickly. “Is there a decent inn in this backwoods town, Link?”

“Yes.” Link led them to the left, following the bent in the main road through town which eventually turned into the steep, winding trail to Death Mountain. They climbed another set of steep, mossy steps, topping out onto a higher terrace. Built into a high montane valley, the village was leveled with a series of terraces to accommodate the steep terrain. Link recognized the potion shop, which was just closing with the onset of night. Across the path stood the Inn.

To Link’s surprise, Ganondorf volunteered to wait with the horses while Link went inside to purchase their room and board for the horses. Link didn’t have the energy to question the Gerudo King’s reluctance or the strange tension in his eyes and left the man outside without comment.

He had enough rupees to cover a room with two beds. He would have purchased two separate rooms if he had the coin, though he supposed they would be sharing lodgings for a while longer so he might as well get used to the strange idea of sleeping in the same room as his old nemesis.

After boarding their horses, Link realized Ganondorf’s hesitation when they walked back inside the inn. The innkeeper was noticeably disgruntled by the Gerudo’s presence in his establishment and accused Link of tricking him. The short, red-faced man demanded an extra deposit from Link to cover “damages or stolen items” and would not relent to attempts at negotiation. Quickly and quietly, Link handed over the extra rupees as the Gerudo King simmered behind him, tamping hot rage down in his throat.

Now they were standing in their simple lodgings, their dirty bags dumped unceremoniously on the floor. Ganondorf was standing by the window, his broad back facing Link, a wall of muscle. Link sat on one of the beds, fiddling with the frayed ends of his tunic. Thick, tense silence filled the space between them. Neither man had spoken since the incident with the innkeeper and Ganondorf was still _radiating_ anger. Link usually felt at a loss for words, but this time it was especially tricky.

He _knew_ the Gerudo faced many prejudices and injustices, and that there was a centuries old animosity between Gerudo and Hylians, though he had never actually traveled alongside a Gerudo nor witnessed such blatant prejudice in person even when he heard disparaging remarks from both sides as he grew up traveling the lands of Hyrule.

It was jarring. Confusing. Complicated. He didn’t know what to say, nor how to say it in a way that would not provoke the man’s well-justified ire.

Well, he had to start somewhere. Whatever his reasons for doing so, Ganondorf had openly listen to and accepted Link when he shared a sensitive aspect of his personal life, so Link supposed it was only right for him to try and return the favor.

“The innkeeper…does that happen…often?”

Ganondorf visibly bristled, muscular shoulders bunching and tightening. As soon as the strangled words left Link’s mouth, he regretted them.

“What do you think?” Ganondorf’s bass voice was quiet, low with a biting edge. Consoling others verbally was not Link’s strong suit. Give him a monster to put down, or some other physical threat to protect others from; anything but this.

“I am sorry that-”

“Stop.” Ganondorf cut him off abruptly, whipping around to face Link. His voice was steel and behind the obvious anger stressing his features, there was a specific exhaustion that tugged at the corners of his mouth and eyes, lending age to his features. “Do not try to apologize for the ignorance of your foolish race.”

Link opened his mouth to reply and promptly shut it. There really wasn’t anything he could say, he realized and so he simply nodded and met Ganondorf’s storming eyes evenly. The Gerudo and Hylian stared at one another for a long time before Ganondorf shook his head, sighing heavily and moved from the window, closer to Link, sitting on the bed adjacent to his with his broad hands on his knees. The small wood-frame bed appeared tiny underneath him and creaked ominously under his weight. A reminder that this inn, this town, this world, was not made for him.

“Since you basically grew up under a rock, I should not surprised that the innkeeper’s actions confused you.” The remark was rude, intended to demean, to make Link feel small. Link bristled and glared at the man but ignored the urge to argue, letting silence consume them until the large man found something nicer to say.

“That was unnecessary of me.” Ganondorf spoke quietly after a long moment, his gaze focused on the old, scuffed floorboards beneath his massive boots. “My apologies.”

“You have every right to be angry.” Link told him after a sigh. It was the truth. At this point, he had seen enough suffering on both sides to understand that the war and Ganondorf’s actions held more history and complications than he could have ever understood when he fought for the crown as a child. “I spent a lot of time with your tribe after everything. I never shared the opinions most Hylians have…never understood them.”

Ganondorf looked at him, an odd expression on his face. “You hinted as much before. My tribe rarely accepts outsiders, as you know. If they accepted you, you must have done my people a great service. After all, you were there for them when I could not be. For that, I suppose I should be eternally in your debt.”

Link shook his head. “No. That…none of that has happened yet. You don’t owe me anything.”

A humor glint flashed across Ganondorf’s eyes along with a fluid smirk as he leaned closer. “Even so. Perhaps I would like to do _something_ to repay you…”

“W-what?” Taken by surprise, Link jerked backward, nearly falling off the other side of his bed. At the sight of Link’s beat-red face and wide eyes, Ganondorf’s raucous laughter seemed to fill the whole room, shattering the strange moment in an instant.

“Never mind, Link.” Ganondorf was still grinning even as Link sat there reeling, still trying to make sense of it all. “Get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us.”

He cast a final bemused look in Link’s direction before stripping out of his shirt and trousers. Link sighed and followed suit, averting his eyes from the larger man’s well-muscled physique even as he felt Ganondorf’s eyes on him while he changed. The room plunged into darkness when they extinguished the gas lamps and climbed into separate beds. As Link made himself comfortable on his own creaky bed, he heard Ganondorf’s groan loudly in protest as the large man shifted.

“Goodnight…fairy boy.”

“Fuck you.”

The last thing Link heard was Ganondorf’s deep chuckle before he drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh maybe the last bit of dialogue is a little OOC but I just love making silly banter for our boys. <3 
> 
> Also, did y’all know there is an early-2000’s rap album made with the music from OOT?? It's called Ocarina of Rhyme and is now the official soundtrack to this fic. I'm not sorry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpge9BoDOwY


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To set the mood for the beginning of this chapter, I highly suggest listening to the Shadow Temple theme music: https://youtu.be/c8yQZev2P9g

_A sea of corpse-white arms waved sightlessly in the air, writhing and grasping, reaching for him. Link moved around the room frantically, rolling and dodging the grasping, bloody hands as best as he could. They towered over him, and he was suddenly aware of the shortness of his stride and the quick, high-pitched breathes and whimpers that escaped his lips._

_He was a child again._

_The dark room stank of fetid flesh and stale dirt and it seemed the distended arms stretched on forever above him._

_A high-pitched scream tore from his throat as a cold, fleshy thing grasped his face, robbing him of his sight. He struggled and sobbed, shaking in naked fear as he heard the dreadful thing approach. It squelched as it moved, a sack of jiggling rotten flesh. It moaned like a Gibdo._

_It was just behind him. It would get him if he couldn’t-_

_A sickening crack of bone made him cringe as his tiny boot struck the arm, shattering the brittle, decaying bones. His face was released from the clammy hand’s grasp and Link wheeled around, a silent scream trapped in his throat as his eyes fell on a lurching mess of rotting flesh. It’s arms reached out for him, terminating in bloody stumps. His wide eyes were fixed on its ghoulish face, with empty black eyes and a jaw that unhinged and fell open, dropping low enough to swallow him whole…_

_Link screamed and slashed at that yawning, hungry maw. Pure terror and survival instinct drove his movements rather than skill. The jaw flapped loose, barely hanging on by tendrils of sinew. Nausea rose in his throat and his stomach lurched._

_The monster buried itself beneath the stale dirt once again, lurking somewhere (anywhere) under his feet. He willed his breathing to slow, controlling his tiny, shaking body, forcing himself to step lightly as he forced himself to keep moving through the darkness. There was barely enough light to see but those white grasping hands caught the meager torchlight, consuming it. They seemed to glow on their own._

_Cold hands grabbed at his ankles and he fell, releasing a horrified sob as his tiny body hit the dirt. More hands grasped and groped, blood red nails digging into the flesh of his ankles, wrists, legs. Goddess knows what would become of him if he died down here. He had to get out…_

_A hand gripped the back of his head, pulling his face up from the dry dirt by his hair. The monster was right there, in front of him. It lurched forward sickeningly, groaning like a wounded soul. Its jaw dropped to the dirt, ready to consume him._

_Hungry._

_Tightly restrained by hundreds of cold, clammy hands, Link thrashed and screamed and sobbed like a child as the hungry mouth descended upon him…_

“Link!”

_Hands held him fast, with all his might he struggled against his binds, but they only tightened, suffocating him. He screamed. Above him, he could see Navi’s light flickering anxiously as she screamed his name._

“Link, hey! Wake up!”

_Unexpectedly, Navi’s voice took a deeper, richer tone. The dead hands suddenly felt warm and solid, but still Link struggled as if his life depended on it._

“It’s just a dream, Link! Wake up!”

Suddenly the Dead Hand vanished and Ganondorf’s face was all he could see, his brows furrowed, mouth set in a tight line. Link gasped and panted, heart hammering hard in his chest as if he had been sprinting. The scratchy sheets beneath his bare back were damp with sweat and Link realized with horror and embarrassment that Ganondorf was _restraining_ him, pinning his arms and legs down with his own limbs, his massive body practically on top of Link.

“Link…are you awake?” Ganondorf asked in a softer tone. Still gasping for air, Link nodded and Ganondorf sighed, releasing Link, and moving off of him. He stayed close however, sitting on the edge of Link’s bed and folding his hands together as he studied Link with concern. Link sat up and groaned as his head spun, immediately noticing his sweat-slicked skin and the cold, damp mattress beneath him. He shivered and reached for the cup of water on the wooden nightstand, taking a deep drink.

He hadn’t had an episode that bad in _years_.

“You startled me out of a dead sleep when you started screaming.” Ganondorf grumbled as Link stood and went to the wash bin, splashing frigid water over his face to expel the cold, sticky sweat. “You were thrashing so violently, I had to restrain you so you would not hurt yourself but that only seemed to make it worse.”

Link drug a towel over his face and sighed with relief. He focused on the gentle scratch of the worn fibers against his skin, how the cloth took the moisture away. It helped ground him.

“Do you want to tell me what that was about? Link?”

Link made his way back to the bed, grimacing at the soaked sheets. He looked out the window. It was pitch black. Still night. Link let out an exhausted sigh and ran a hand through his tangled hair. The remainder of the night was going to be uncomfortable and cold, though he might not be able to return to sleep anyway.

“Just a bad dream.”

Ganondorf rose his eyebrows, giving Link a pointed look. “Seemed to be more than that. I have only ever seen those kinds of nightmares in traumatized soldiers.”

Link sat heavily on the creaky mattress beside Ganondorf. The larger man’s weight caused enough of a divot that Link had to aggressively lean away from him to avoid being pulled right up against his side. Ganondorf was turned towards him, earnestly giving Link his undivided attention. He still seemed concerned, which made Link uncomfortable.

“I used to have them all the time.” Link said. A heavy wave of fatigue washed over him. His whole body suddenly felt drained as if he had been fighting instead of sleeping. “It has been years since I had a dream like that. I don’t understand why…”

“Sometimes certain places trigger traumatic memories.” Ganondorf offered, giving Link pause.

The bottom of the well…

Sure, they were close to the well, but that kind of nightmare was never triggered by his trips to Kakariko before. Nightmares of the Shadow Temple and the well were nothing new to him, though most of them were vague, unpleasant dreams of darkness and whispering spirits and honestly, they weren’t even the worst ones. They were seldom so violent…nor so vivid.

Ganondorf continued to look at Link, openly searching his face. Link relented with a sigh and told him of the evil lurking in the well and how it was connected to the Shadow Temple.

“Perhaps the nightmare returned because the evil is still present in this time?” Ganondorf offered. Link shrugged. That was a possibility. Cleansing the temple was still on his to-do list. But later, after the immediate issue of the twins was dealt with.

Ganondorf fell silent, continuing to study him. Link narrowed his eyes and gave an additional sharp shrug to get him to stop starring, but his bad mood only made Ganondorf sigh and shake his head.

“It is the middle of the night.” Ganondorf mentioned, and Link noticed the blatant fatigue stressing his features. “I am going back to sleep. I suggest you do the same…if you can.”

Link considered his soaked sheets and sighed wearily. Probably not. Ganondorf followed his gaze to the sorry state of his bed.

“I know it is not ideal, but if you want to use my bed, you are welcome to do so.” Ganondorf offered, much to Link’s surprise. “But if you so much as kick me in your sleep, I will not hesitate to push you off.”

No, it wasn’t ideal, but the draining fatigue in his bones made the thought of no sleep an unpleasant one. After that dream, he felt like he had gone days without sleep rather than mere hours.

Ganondorf didn’t wait for Link to make his decision, sliding under the patchwork quilt and rough linen blankets. The bed looked tiny under him and Link couldn’t imagine the both of them fitting, but he supposed there was nothing to be done about it.

Link sighed. Tentative and awkward, he moved towards Ganondorf’s bed and slowly climbed next to the larger man, keeping a feather’s breath of distance between them.

“I don’t bite.” The Gerudo said with a grin, noticing Link’s hesitation. With his large size and the single-occupancy bed, there wasn’t enough room to sleep back-to-back. Link was hard-pressed to recall a more awkward situation.

“Except when you do.” Link grumbled, turning his back to the man’s massive chest. Ganondorf radiated warmth, almost too much, and his scent was slightly musky with a hint of warm spice, which reminded him of the desert sun and warm Gerudian tea. He buried his head in the lumpy pillow and tried to focus on how the sheets smelled like hay instead.

But the warm dryness of Ganondorf’s bed quickly made him drowsy and soon Link drifted off into a heavy sleep. He had no more dreams that night.

When morning came Link was sleeping so deeply, Ganondorf had resorted to gripping his shoulder and roughly shaking him awake. The sun was just beginning its ascent, having not yet topped the towering hills and peaks which hugged the mountain village. If they wanted to reach Goron City by the afternoon, they had to begin their climb sooner than later.

Link sighed and forced himself out of the warm bed. Fatigue still tugged at his bones. His body practically begged him for further rest, which was highly unusual as he was well-adapted to spending multiple nights without sleep while on the road. The two men dressed in silence with their backs turned towards each other, neither opting to speak until they were walking the dark streets of the sleeping village, towards the steep mountain trail. Link paid the innkeeper extra to keep the horses boarded for another day. Both of them knew the road to Death Mountain was too steep and treacherous to ride.

A pair of Sheika guards stood at the gate to the trail, demanding to know their business. When he grew older, Link found it strange that Hyrule was invested in limiting traffic up the mountain as the rock folk were certainly capable of managing their own affairs. However, Zelda never provided a clear answer on the matter when he asked.

The guards balked at Ganondorf. The sight of any Gerudo openly traveling through Hyrulian territory was shocking enough and the presence of their king was doubly so, however when Link fished out the royal ocarina and played Zelda’s Lullaby, the guards stepped aside without further questions. Though just as Ganondorf was striding proudly past them, Link saw an opportunity.

“Has anyone else come through lately?” Link asked the guards, prompting an odd look from Ganondorf before the king realized what he was getting at. The guards were stumped for a moment before the shorter of the pair seemed to remember something.

“Now that you mention it, someone did come through a couple of days ago.” The shorter said. His brow was wrinkled in concentration as if the memory were difficult to summon. “There were two people…merchants from Castle Town I think, right Loggins?”

“Nah, they were fortune tellers. A pair of old women, I believe.” The guard named Loggins said uncertainly.

“Don’t be daft! Old women making the climb on their own? What by Hylia would the Gorons need their fortunes done for?”

“That’s what I saw!”

“Well, I know what _I_ saw and it sure as shit wasn’t that!”

Link and Ganondorf exchanged a meaningful look before stepping past the two guards, who had fallen into a pointless argument over the identity of the mysterious merchant, but Link and Ganondorf weren’t so easily fooled.

“My mothers are powerful sorceresses.” Ganondorf muttered when they were out of earshot. “Illusion is a specialty of theirs.”

Their climb up the trail passed without much hindrance. The path was quite familiar to Link and Ganondorf seemed to know it as well. The only foes they came up against were hopping Tektites and the occasional falling boulder, which they respectively defeated and dodged with ease. By the time the steep road leveled out slightly as they neared Dodongo Cavern, the sun was cresting towards mid-morning in a cloudless blue sky.

The odd, though familiar, sensation of deja vu fell over Link when he saw the giant boulder blocking the cavern’s entrance and the sleeping Goron curled up outside.

“Let me do the talking.” Link said, giving Ganondorf a pointed look. The Gerudo King scowled.

“So now you’re feeling chatty, hm?” He remarked, though fortunately kept his distance and remained silent while Link approached.

Sensing the subtle vibrations of Link’s footsteps, the Goron stirred and slowly rose, towering over the petite Hylian. It blinked at him sleepily, rubbing a coal-black eye with a fist the size of a small boulder.

“I warn you, traveler, Goron City is not the happy place it used to be.” The Goron spoke, voice hard as granite; deep and gritty. “We have fallen on hard times.”

“We are here to help with that.” Link told the Goron, gesturing behind him to where Ganondorf stood in the shadow of the cliff. “We offer aid on behalf of the Royal Family.”

Link didn’t have to turn around to know Ganondorf was bristling with disdain, though Link knew they would be risking much if they revealed Ganondorf’s identity too early.

The Goron studied Link briefly before his inky eyes flickered over to Ganondorf’s obscured form. His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as he studied Link’s companion for a long moment.

“Is this proof enough?” Link revealed the royal ocarina, holding it up for the Goron to examine in the light of the morning sun. After a tense silence, the Goron nodded in approval.

“Of course, brother. No enemy of the Gorons would carry such a strong symbol of the royal crown, so I will tell you our story.” The Goron said. “As you can see, the Dodongo Cavern is blocked off by a giant boulder. Normally this would not be a problem for us rock eaters, though it was sealed with terrible magic. This cavern is our main place to mine food, you see, but with it being blocked off and infested with dodongos, we’re going hungry, brother!”

“That’s terrible.” Link said automatically. It certainly was terrible for the Gorons, though good news for Link that the twins did not try anything more creative. He has fought this battle before. “Did you see any non-Gorons come through here recently?”

“Hmmm…yes. Two old merchants came to see the boss, brother. But Chief Darunia would have more to say about that. I suggest you go and see him.”

Link thanked the Goron for his help and motioned to Ganondorf to follow as the giant Goron curled up into a ball and returned to his rest.

The day was steadily turning warm as the sun rose ever higher, baking the bare rock. In the high mountain air, the heat was not quite as severe as the desert, though the sun beat down on them intensely as they climbed and scrambled over the winding, rubble-strewn trail; a towering cliff wall on their left and a precipitous drop on their right.

“This is sure to be an interesting meeting. Chief Darunia and I are not on the best of terms.” Ganondorf grumbled as they continued their ascent. It was the first time he spoke in over an hour, prompting Link to peer at him curiously.

“I last spoke with him a few months ago, before the peace talks began with Hyrule. I asked about the sacred ruby then, though I also hoped to open trade routes with the Gorons and Zora. Hyrule has hoarded the resources of both tribes for decades, blatantly denying access to my people. I was…desperate to make a deal with him and he did not trust me. It seemed the crown had spread their foul rumors about my people to their allies as well. I lost my temper. Getting him to listen to us may be tricky.”

Link stared at Ganondorf as the king fell silent, gold eyes focused on the treacherous road ahead. This was all news to him, and Link realized how little he knew about the events that led up to Ganondorf’s corruption and rise to power. Sure, as he grew up, he attained bits and pieces here and there, from all sides. He had long wondered over the isolation of the Gorons, Zora, and Gerudo. It indeed seemed as though Hyrule preferred to act as a medium, wedging itself in the affairs of its neighbors and demanding compensation for its meddling. Of course, these behaviors relaxed when Zelda took the throne, though the Gerudo seemed to get the short end of trade negotiations even then. Link could have paid more attention to the delicate politics behind it all, though learning of such things became tiring rather quickly. On the other hand, hearing Ganondorf’s side of the story was intriguing.

Link was relieved by the simplicity of their task, though he reminded himself that events were still inevitably altered in this version of history. Ganondorf had met with Darunia originally, though this time the twins were the ones who placed the curse upon his people. Did they believe Darunia when he said he did not have the ruby? Where had the twins gone after they failed here? How would Darunia react to Ganondorf?

Unease clenched in Link’s gut as they summited the final slope. As they crested the final ridge, the large, yawning mouth of a cavern came into view. The proud entrance to Goron City, cut into the very heart of the mountain. Link and Ganondorf shared a glance as they stood before the gate to the stone city.

“If I openly stride in there, we might meet some opposition.” Ganondorf said heavily. Despite himself, Link smiled.

“We will be fine.” Link said with certainty. “The ocarina will help.”

Something about the way Link referred to the ocarina gave Ganondorf pause. At times, the way Link spoke of it gave Ganondorf the impression that the instrument had a mind of its own.

“I’ll follow your lead.”

Link tilted his head at the softness of Ganondorf’s tone, the barest smile teasing at his lips. He didn’t expect the warmth in Ganondorf’s eyes and was surprised to find he didn’t mind it.

Together, they descended into the cavernous tunnel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always thought it was funny that the Gorons can't just...eat the boulder that's blocking their cavern? And how are a bunch of lizards too much for giant, super strong rock people to deal with but no match for a small Hylian kid? These are the questions that keep me up at night.
> 
> Thank you so much for all your lovely comments and kudos! I've been blown away by how many people are reading this silly story <3


End file.
